Defense Minister Israel Katz will soon present a resolution for government approval to shut down the IDF’s military radio station, Galei Zahal (Army Radio), in accordance with standard procedures.
Katz intends to order the station’s broadcasts to end by March 1, 2026, and to establish a professional team within the Defense Ministry to oversee the implementation of the decision.
The implementation team will address all aspects related to the closure of Galei Zahal, with priority given to assisting civilian IDF employees currently working at the station to end their employment under proper arrangements while preserving their rights.
Additionally, and in line with the recommendation of the committee that reviewed the Galei Zahal’s operations, the team will work to preserve the activity of the sister station, Galgalatz, while maintaining its character and mission, including its original purpose of promoting road safety awareness.
“As I’ve stated, what was will be no more,” Katz said. “Galei Zahal was established by the Government of Israel as a military station to serve as the voice and ear of IDF soldiers and their families, not as a platform for opinions, many of which attack the IDF and its soldiers.”
“The operation of a civilian radio station by the military is an anomaly with no parallel in any democratic country in the world. Continuing to run the station means involving the IDF, against its will, in political discourse and seriously undermines its status as the people’s army and its national character.”
Katz also noted that over the decades, beginning in the 1950s, various defense ministers and IDF chiefs of staff have explored options to close the station, remove it from the defense establishment, privatize it, or shut down its news division - but none of those processes were ever fully implemented.
“In the past two years, throughout the war, many soldiers and civilians, including bereaved families, have repeatedly complained that they feel the station does not represent them and even undermines the war effort and morale. Worse still, our enemies interpret these messages as being conveyed by the IDF itself. I intend to soon bring the decision to close the station to the government. This is a necessary move to preserve the national character of the IDF and to strengthen public trust in it,” he said.
In response, Galei Zahal commander, journalist Tal Lev-Ram, sharply criticized the decision and voiced strong opposition: “We received the Defense Minister’s announcement as a complete surprise, without being given the opportunity to respond to the report submitted by the committee he appointed. This comes after numerous flaws were found in the committee’s work, including conflicts of interest, a predetermined and biased selection of its members, and numerous manipulations in the presentation of the information provided to it. A heavy shadow hangs over the committee’s work, which from the outset operated under the assumption that ‘what was will be no more.’”
“The decision to shut down the station after two years of unprecedented activity in support of IDF service members is puzzling and proves that this is not a professional process that places those who serve at the forefront. We see this as a serious, unfortunate, and dramatic blow to the people’s army, Israeli society, and to the freedom of the press in a democratic country.”
Lev-Ram added, “In the name of the responsibility placed on my shoulders, I intend to fight this grave decision by every means. I am proud of the station’s work, especially over the past two years during an ongoing war, and I am convinced that the station will continue to operate for many more years. We will not allow the soldiers’ home to be shut down.”
The Israel Press Council, chaired by former Deputy Supreme Court President Prof. Hanan Melcer, slammed: “The decision to close Galei Zahal is improper and illegal. The station’s status is anchored in primary legislation, and only legislation can change the station's status. The Press Council will take all legal steps to prevent the station’s closure, safeguard freedom of the press, protect media diversity, and uphold the public’s right to know.”