The Israeli parliament has extended legislation allowing the government to shut down foreign broadcasters operating within the country for a period of two years. Concurrently, the Israeli cabinet approved a plan to cease the operations of Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) by March 1, 2026. Both decisions have drawn criticism from various organizations regarding press freedom and freedom of expression.
Extension of Foreign Broadcaster Closure Order
Israel's parliament voted 22 to 10 to extend an order that grants the government authority to shut down foreign broadcasters. This legislation permits the government to cease the operations of a foreign outlet for the next two years, even during peacetime and without requiring a court order.
The powers were initially introduced as temporary measures during the Gaza conflict. They were utilized in May 2024 to close the offices and block broadcasts of the Qatari-owned channel Al Jazeera. In September 2024, Al Jazeera also closed its office in Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli government has accused Al Jazeera of anti-Israel bias and of supporting Hamas in its coverage. Al Jazeera has denied these allegations, characterizing Israel's actions as a "criminal act" and an "assault on press freedom."
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) previously stated that the temporary order infringed upon "freedom of expression, the right to information and freedom of the press." ACRI also noted that the order limited public access to information divergent from the Israeli narrative or broadcast on Israeli media channels.
Approval for Army Radio Shutdown
In a separate development, the Israeli cabinet approved a plan to shut down Army Radio (Galei Tzahal), a state-funded station operated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that maintains editorial independence. Under the proposal from Defence Minister Israel Katz, the station is scheduled to cease operations by March 1, 2026.
Minister Katz stated that Army Radio, which employs both active-duty soldiers and civilians, "no longer serves as a mouthpiece and ear for soldiers and broadcasts political and divisive content that is not in line with IDF values." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented during the cabinet meeting that a military-supervised broadcasting station is highly unusual globally, citing North Korea as an example.
The Union of Journalists and Journalists' Organisations announced plans to petition the High Court of Justice against the decision. The organization described the move as "a severe and unlawful infringement on freedom of expression and freedom of the press." The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) think tank stated that shutting Army Radio constitutes a significant violation of freedom of expression, effectively eliminating a portion of Israel's independent public radio news broadcasts. The IDI further noted that "the decision to shut down a public media organisation is not an isolated move. It is part of a broader and worrying pattern of ongoing harm to Israeli democracy."