Government unanimously votes to shut down Army Radio by March; legal challenges expected

The cabinet unanimously approves Defense Minister Israel Katz’s proposal to shut down the IDF-run station Army Radio, with broadcasts set to end by March 1, 2026, according to the minister’s office.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the existence of a military-run broadcaster was highly unusual, remarking that “a military station broadcasting under the authority of the army… exists in North Korea and maybe a few other countries, and we certainly do not want to be counted among them.”

Netanyahu says he was open to repeated proposals over the years to abolish or privatize the station, adding: “I believe in competition. So the time has come, and better sooner rather than later.”

Katz claims the decision was meant to address what he describes as a democratic “anomaly.”

“A situation in which a radio station intended for all citizens of the State of Israel is operated by the military is an anomaly that does not exist in democratic countries,” he tells ministers. He argues that Army Radio’s political and current affairs programming “creates a fundamental difficulty for the IDF, stemming from the IDF’s involuntary involvement in political discourse,” and says the station’s content “harms the Israel Defense Forces, its soldiers and its unity.”

Katz asserts that “after October 7, these difficulties became even more acute.”

Katz announced the pending closure of Army Radio in November, saying the decision followed repeated complaints from soldiers and civilians, including bereaved families, who argued that the station does not represent them and, at times, has harmed morale and the war effort.

Army Radio and press freedom groups are expected to file legal challenges against the legislation.