Netanyahu: Army Radio ‘has no right to exist’ if no place for Gantz critic

Prime Minister Netanyahu expresses support for an Army Radio host critical of his chief election rival Benny Gantz after the latter’s Blue and White party released a statement condemning the radio personality.

“At Army Radio there is one broadcaster who doesn’t want to get in line with the left and the guild. He disturbs the daily propaganda broadcasts of Rino Tzror, Razi Barkai and others who favor Lapid and Gantz’s left-wing party, so they are exerting incredible pressure to toss him from the station,” Netanyahu writes on his personal Twitter account, referring to a pair of radio hosts at the military-run broadcaster.

“This won’t happen.”

Though it does not mention him by name, the prime minister’s tweet was in reference to Yakov Bardugo, whom Blue and White likened to a presenter from North Korea’s state broadcaster and said was serving his “master” Netanyahu.

“There is a limit to thought police and silencing of voices by the left. We’re not in North Korea. If there won’t also be a voice for the right, Army Radio has no right to exist,” adds Netanyahu, who is also defense minister.

Yakov Bardugo. (Screen capture: YouTube)