The Israeli government approved on Monday the closure of the army radio station 'Galei Tzahal', a step that is part of a series of measures taken by the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which critics see as blows to democracy. Defense Minister Yoav Galant proposed closing the army radio by March 1, 2026, calling it an attempt to maintain the non-partisan nature of the army. Galant said in a statement: 'The radio was originally established to serve soldiers, but over time it has become a platform for opinions that 'attack the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli soldiers themselves.' The army radio is one of two state-funded media outlets. The other is the public broadcasting corporation (Kan), which manages a popular news television channel, several radio stations, and a digital platform. Both media outlets enjoy editorial independence from the government. What is the connection with North Korea? Galant stated that the station, which is run by the army and broadcasts to civilians, is an anomaly for any democratic system. Netanyahu, in remarks at a cabinet meeting, said: 'I think this exists in North Korea and perhaps in a few other countries, and perhaps we don't want to be among them.' Critics have condemned this move, saying it would harm freedom of expression. The Israeli Institute for Democracy, a non-partisan research center, warned that closing the army radio would effectively end half of the independent public news broadcasting in Israel, stressing that such a step should be brought to parliament before being implemented.
