Elderly Man Charged for Threatening Defense Minister Over Radio Station Closure

An 84-year-old resident of a kibbutz in the Jezreel Valley has been indicted for allegedly threatening to kill Defense Minister Israel Katz. The indictment stems from a Facebook post made on November 12, 2025, the same day Katz announced his decision to close the IDF's radio station, Galei Tzahal. The accused allegedly wrote, "I am going to shoot Israel Katz - a disgusting person who made a stupid decision to close Galei Tzahal." Following the post, police summoned the kibbutz resident for questioning in Migdal HaEmek. After the interrogation, the case was handed over to a police prosecutor, who filed charges of threatening a public servant.

The indictment states the accused threatened to inflict actual bodily harm on Minister Katz with the intent to intimidate or anger him. The man's lawyer, Wasim Dakhar, stated that his client is a law-abiding citizen with no prior criminal record and no actual intention to harm the minister, which will be the defense's line in court.

Minister Katz had explained his decision to close Galei Tzahal by stating the station was created as a military outlet for soldiers and their families, not as a platform for opinions often directed against the IDF. He cited numerous complaints from soldiers and families of the fallen who felt the station did not represent their interests and even harmed military efforts and morale. Katz also expressed concern that enemies could misinterpret the station's content as signals from the IDF.

Separately, on December 28, 2025, the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) froze the closure order. On August 20, 2026, the court unanimously overturned the government's decision, ruling it was based on an unacceptable consideration: dissatisfaction with the station's broadcast content.