Israeli Supreme Court Overturns Government Order to Close Army Radio Station

Israel's Supreme Court has annulled the government's decision to shut down the army radio station 'Galei Tzahal,' ruling unanimously that the move was driven by an "improper motive" to interfere with its editorial content. The court's decision on Thursday accepted appeals against the closure, which was initially approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government last December.

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an improper motive

A panel of three judges found that while the closure itself might not be "necessarily illegal," the available evidence indicated the government sought to penalize the station for coverage it deemed critical. Justice Yechiel Kasher stated that a public authority cannot silence a media outlet simply because it disapproves of a broadcaster's statements. Justice Dafna Barak-Erez also pointed to procedural flaws, including a lack of evidence proving the station's alleged bias.

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a public authority cannot decide to silence a medium simply because it disapproves of a broadcaster's statements

Justice Alex Stein questioned whether the closure inherently violated freedom of expression but agreed that an "improper motive" was established. The government had argued that 'Galei Tzahal' broadcasted "political and divisive content" incompatible with military values. However, the Supreme Court's intervention followed a temporary suspension of the closure in December after a request from the Israeli Army Employees Committee.

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deficiencies in the procedure, including the lack of evidence proving the alleged bias of the station

Several Israeli organizations, including the Movement for a Quality Government, the Journalists' Union, and the Academy for a Democratic Israel, had joined the appeals. They warned that closing the station would undermine press freedom, particularly as it occurred during an election year in Israel. The organizations also questioned the independence of the Defense Ministry's evaluation committee that recommended the closure.

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the existence of an 'improper motive' was proven