MKs Gilad Kariv and Naama Lazimi are set to hold an emergency Knesset caucus on the protection of journalistic freedom and public broadcasting, following Defense Minister Israel Katz's move to close Army Radio (Galatz), the two announced in a statement on Wednesday.
The session will convene on Monday at 12:30 p.m. in the Knesset’s Aliyah, Absorption, and Diaspora Committee Room. The meeting will address impacts on media independence and the safety of station employees, according to the announcement.
The caucus session will include participation by Knesset members, representatives of the Journalists’ Association, and media professionals. The MKs framed the gathering as part of a broader push to block the station’s closure and bolster protections for public-interest journalism.
“The defense minister’s decision is an inseparable part of the assault on the free press. His words incite violence and put the employees of Army Radio at risk,” Kariv stated.
“We will do everything to overturn this destructive decree. We will not allow Minister Katz to run his Likud primaries at the expense of Israeli democracy and the public that believes in a free press.”
“They are dismantling the free, public, and independent media. The fourth estate is a vital pillar of democracy, and we cannot allow a dictator and his cronies to take it over,” Lazimi added.
“The closure of Army Radio is an irresponsible political move by a failed defense minister who is more concerned with currying favor with the Netanyahu family than with the good of the country. The attack on the independence of the media and its institutions is an attack on democracy itself, and we must fight it with all our strength.”
Army Radio to close in coming months
Katz announced plans to close Army Radio by March 1, 2026, following months of examination of the station’s mandate and role. The move drew swift criticism from media figures and politicians, who warned of damage to the free press.
Advisory bodies had recently urged Katz to either shut the station or strip it of current affairs programming. At the same time, legal and policy debates have continued over the status of military broadcasting in a civilian media market.