Israel Extends Foreign Broadcaster Shutdown Powers and Plans to Close Army Radio
Israel's parliament has extended a two-year order allowing the government to shut down foreign broadcasters deemed a national security threat, with the measure passing 22 votes to 10. These powers stem from the so-called Al Jazeera Law, which was previously used to close Al Jazeera offices and block its broadcasts in May 2024. Al Jazeera has denied allegations of bias and support for Hamas, condemning Israel's actions as violations of press freedom.
Hours before the parliamentary vote, the cabinet approved a plan to shut down Army Radio (Galei Tzahal), a state-funded station run by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) but editorially independent. The shutdown is targeted for 1 March 2026. Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Army Radio no longer serves as a mouthpiece for soldiers, broadcasting content not aligned with IDF values. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described military-controlled broadcasting as unusual, likening it to regimes such as North Korea, and said Israel should not be like that.
The decision has faced criticism from various groups. The Union of Journalists and Journalists' Organisations announced plans to petition the High Court of Justice to challenge the shutdown, arguing it infringes on freedom of expression and press freedom. The Israel Democracy Institute warned that closing Army Radio would be a serious violation of freedom of expression, potentially halving Israel's independent public radio news and forming part of a broader pattern detrimental to Israeli democracy. Additionally, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) criticized the temporary order as violating freedom of expression, the right to information, and press freedom by restricting access to diverse information.
