What does North Korea have to do with the Israeli army radio shutdown?

The Israeli Cabinet voted on Monday to close the army radio station, in a move that comes as part of a series of measures taken by the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which its critics consider to be blows to democracy..

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz proposed closing Army Radio by March 1, 2026, considering this an attempt to preserve the non-partisan character of the army.

Katz said in a statement: “The radio was originally created to serve IDF soldiers, but over time it turned into a platform for opinions that “attack the Israeli army and the IDF soldiers themselves.”

Army Radio is one of two state-funded media outlets. The other means is the public broadcaster (Radio Kan), which operates a television news channel, several radio stations, and a popular digital platform. Both media institutions enjoy editorial independence from the government.

What’s the deal with North Korea?

Katz said that the military-run station that broadcasts to civilians “represents an anomaly for any democratic system.” Netanyahu said in statements before the cabinet session, “I think this matter exists in North Korea and perhaps in a few other countries, and perhaps we do not want to be among them.”

Critics denounced the move, saying it would harm freedom of expression.

The Israel Democracy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, warned that closing Army Radio would effectively end half of Israel’s independent public news broadcasting, stressing that such a measure should be presented to Parliament before being implemented.