Razi Barkai, A veteran presenter on Gali Tzahal, was interviewed this morning (Sunday) on the program of Kalman Liebskind and Assaf Lieberman here on Net B, and referred to Defense Minister Bnei Gantz’s announcement of the closure of the GLC. Barkai said that most of the chiefs of staff in recent years have opposed the station’s continued existence, and claimed that this decision endangers all public broadcasting in Israel. When asked about the possible motive for the decision, Barkai explained: “There is a sense that it is time for revenge.”
Barkai explained in an interview that many chiefs of staff in recent years have tried to stop the station’s broadcasts: “I think this is real (Ganz’s decision), he holds the opinion held by both Barak who was defense minister and Gadi Eisenkot. The only one who defended us was Boogie Ya’alo who thought the GLC was important. Everyone tried, but I think this time the situation is much less good for several reasons. We will fight. The chief of staff leaves the cabinet meeting, Hezbollah on his head, Syria on his head. Yuval Steinitz, Yuval as an example, approaches him and tells Kochavi what are these remarks by Barkai towards me? It does not interest him, after every cabinet meeting a politician approaches him, bothers him, and he just wants to get that monkey off his back. Bnei Gantz has held this opinion for many years. “
Barkai warned of a much broader trend and said: “The issue is not IDF waves, the issue is public broadcasting. I think Benny Ganz may have thought the station was supposed to protect him, and he is not getting the protection he needs. And he just applies, because of pressure from Aviv Kochavi. I do not see us closing down in the coming weeks, but in the coming months there will be a big struggle here. ”
Is it part of a reaction to the fact that you did not defend him?
“It’s part of the fact that in the last two years, as the saying goes, parts of the GLC, he just feels like he’s been cut out of shape. And not just for him, for blue and white in general, also for Ashkenazi. And there is a sense here that the time has come for revenge. I think this is an unfortunate step for him, which does not add any points to him. “