Channel 14 military correspondent Noam Amir posted a commentary on his the source Thursday evening, arguing that the High Court's decision to block the closure of IDF radio Galei Tzahal carries political significance and suggests Channel 14 will not be shut down. The post, titled 'They will not close Channel 14!', frames the ruling as a precedent against government closure of critical media outlets.
Channel 14 military correspondent Noam Amir published a commentary on his the source late Thursday evening, shortly after the High Court of Justice unanimously struck down the government's decision to shut down Army Radio (Galei Tzahal). In a post titled "They will not close Channel 14!", Amir argued that the ruling carries political significance and signals that the government will not succeed in closing Channel 14, a right-leaning broadcaster that has faced political pressure. Amir wrote that the court's reasoning, which condemned the use of extraneous and invalid considerations, effectively establishes a precedent against shutting down media outlets for political reasons.
The High Court's ruling came at 18:07 Jerusalem, with all justices concurring that the closure decision was based on "extraneous and invalid considerations." Justice Kasher wrote that a governing authority cannot silence a broadcaster simply because it dislikes its content, calling such a move "clearly undemocratic," as The Zioneer reported. The court also rejected the Attorney General's claim that closing Army Radio requires legislation, affirming that the closure was invalid regardless of the legislative process.
Amir has been a vocal commentator on media and judicial matters. In July, he criticized the military censor for what he called a double standard in enforcing publication bans. In an earlier bulletin, he framed the election as revolving around the judicial system. His latest commentary extends that focus, interpreting the High Court's ruling as a shield for outlets he sees as targets of government overreach.
The ruling directly addressed only the closure of Galei Tzahal, and no legal proceedings are currently pending regarding Channel 14. Amir's interpretation remains his personal analysis, though it echoes broader concerns among right-leaning media figures about political intervention in Israel's media landscape.
6 developments
- DevelopingHigh Court strikes down Israeli gov't decision to close Army Radio
- StrongKatz issues full statement vowing to close Galei Tzahal after elections, rejects High Court ruling
- DevelopingNoam Amir (Channel 14) slams military censor for double standard on publication ban
- DevelopingNoam Amir (Channel 14) examines IDF leadership's communication method
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