Next Sunday, Likud MK Dr. Shlomo Karhi’s bill to privatize Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) is due to be voted on in the ministerial committee for legislation.
“Defense Minister Benny Gantz has decided to advance a different alternative, one that involves stripping Galei Tzahal of any right-wing content and appointing a supervisor who never even served in the army to oversee this left-wing purge, which panders to Gantz’s left-wing base,” Karhi says.
Karhi has been promoting legislation to privatize Galei Tzahal since he was first elected to the Knesset, four terms ago. His objection is to the notion of having an IDF radio station within a democratic state, especially at this point in time when various individuals, including the Defense Minister, are not interested in sustaining even the minimal level of balance in reporting that was achieved in recent years.
“The time has come to open the market to competition,” Karhi says.
“There is no justification for having two publicly funded radio stations, for having an army radio station, or for not having a national radio station,” he adds, expressing his hope that ministers will support his effort to advance the bill next week.