Speaking with Yediot Achronot, Avi Binayahu, a former director of Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) explained that anyone who opposed the so-called Disengagement Plan, Ariel Sharon’s expulsion of Jews from Gaza and areas of Northern Shomron, was not given airtime on the IDF-run radio station.
Binayahu, who is also a former IDF spokesman, explains that Members of Knesset who opposed the policy were not given airtime to express their opinion. He explains that he was not opposed but the orders came directly from then-Prime Minister Arik Sharon, who referred to the MKs daring to oppose the expulsion as “extremists”.
This is the routine in Israel; to discredit opponents and thereby minimizing the opposition to what is done to them. Sharon did it with the Disengagement Plan and similar tactics were used against the Hebron Jewish community to oppose PM Netanyahu giving away large areas of Hebron to the PA (Palestinian Authority). The same was also seen regarding the 2006 evacuation of Amona and with other communities throughout Yehuda and Shomron.
In reality, little has changed in Galei Tzahal, a station that regularly promotes and left-wing anti-religious platform. From time-to-time there are calls to shut down the station, especially now as IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott is compelled to implement an austerity plan, but the powers that be seem to prefer permitting the station to continue airing its agenda, which is far from a traditional Jewish one, painfully in-line with the hashkafa of many senior IDF commanders and decision-makers.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
There’s good reason for the punishment of “the great” Ariel Sharon the last 8 years of his life which ended with a handful of people at his funeral.
This is why Governments should not own or control media.
This same left-wing anti-religious platform – the hashkafa espoused by many senior IDF commanders and decision-makers – is the reason why there is such fierce chareidi opposition to drafting even the weakest yeshiva boys whose learning is not all that productive and who might even benefit from the discipline that the army has to offer. But at least they’re remaining mitzvah observant in yeshiva. The secular Israeli establishment’s goal in drafting yeshiva boys is not to “equally share the burden” but rather to reshape the hashkafa of frum soldiers with the long term goal of weakening chareidi political power. The IDF has always been viewed as the ideal melting pot, turning Jews into Israelis. A significant percentage of dati leumi boys come into the army with kippot and leave without, so it has proven to be effective. Of course, Israel’s borders need to be defended and soldiers are putting their lives on the line – elef lamateh, elef lamateh.