Israel’s High Court of Justice agreed on Monday to hear petitions against the government’s decision to shutter the country’s Army Radio station. It said a hearing will be held on the matter by the end of January 2026.
On Monday, Israel’s government approved the Nov. 12 decision by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to close the station, known in Hebrew as Galei Tzahal, or Galatz.
The station’s final broadcast date is slated to be March 1, 2026.
“A military station that broadcasts with the permission of the army, I think exists in North Korea and maybe a few other countries, and we certainly don’t want to be counted among them,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the Monday meeting, according to Hebrew media.
The Movement for Quality Government filed a petition against the move, claiming the government’s decision was based on “ulterior motives” and was done “to harm media outlets seen as critical of the government.”
The Union of Journalists in Israel said on Monday it would also file a petition, stating, “The government’s decision constitutes a severe and prohibited violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.”
In November, Army Radio head Tal Lev-Ram also said he would oppose the decision. “I intend to fight this serious decision in every way. I am proud of the work of the station, especially in the last two years during an ongoing war, and I’m convinced that the station will continue to exist for many more years,” he said.
Katz accused the Israel Defense Forces-run station of having become politicized. It has veered from its original purpose of serving as a voice for IDF soldiers and their families, and instead, became “a platform for expressing opinions, many of which attack the IDF and the IDF soldiers themselves,” he said when he announced the decision.
He clarified that Army Radio’s similarly named sister station, Galgalatz, which focuses on pop music, will not be affected by the decision and will continue operating.
The defense minister made his decision after receiving on Oct. 28 the final report of a committee convened to study the matter.
