Israel's parliament has extended a law allowing the government to close foreign broadcasters in the country for the next two years. Passed by 22 votes to 10, the law lets the government shut down foreign media without a court order, even in peacetime. This law was first made during the Gaza war and is often called the "Al Jazeera Law." It was used in May 2024 to close Al Jazeera's offices in Israel and block its broadcasts. Israel accused the Qatari-owned channel of anti-Israel bias and of supporting Hamas. Al Jazeera denied the charges and called Israel’s actions a "criminal act" against press freedom. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said last year the law hurts "freedom of expression, the right to information and freedom of the press," blocking access to news that does not fit Israel's viewpoint. Shortly after this law was extended, Israel’s cabinet approved a plan to shut down Army Radio, known as Galei Tzahal (GLZ). The military’s radio station, though state-funded, is editorially independent. Defence Minister Israel Katz said Army Radio "no longer serves as a mouthpiece and ear for soldiers and broadcasts political and divisive content that is not in line with IDF values." The station will close by March 1, 2026. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it unusual for a military to have its own radio station. He said, "I think it exists in North Korea and maybe a few other countries, and we probably don't want to be counted among them." Journalists' groups promised to take the issue to the High Court of Justice, calling the shutdown "a severe and unlawful infringement on freedom of expression and freedom of the press." The Israel Democracy Institute warned that closing Army Radio "is not an isolated move" but part of a larger pattern hurting Israeli democracy. They added it will eliminate half of Israel's independent public radio news channels.