Israeli defence minister says he intends to close public radio station

Israel’s defence minister said on Wednesday he planned to close publicly funded Army Radio in what he described as an attempt to preserve the military’s nonpartisan character. 

The minister, Israel Katz, said in a statement that he would soon submit a proposal to the country's government to close the station, and he expected it to end its broadcasts by 1 March.

Army Radio's chief, Tal Lev Ram, said the move was unexpected and not a professional process that prioritised the interests of Israeli soldiers.

"I intend to fight this grave decision by every means," he said.

Army Radio is among two state-funded news outlets in Israel, the other being the public broadcaster KAN which operates a television news channel and several radio news stations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has been critical of Army Radio and KAN, sometimes accusing it of being biased against state institutions.