1. On 06.06.07 it was confirmed that your predecessor, Minister Ariel Atias published a tender for the establishment of a regional radio station whose declared objective was to broadcast for "Israeli residents in Judea and Samaria", ie the settlers. Since then much water had flown through the river, the auction actually took place and won a group calling itself "Radiosh" and then changed its name to Radio Israel, and finally to "Ga'aley Israel." I would like to note that my client, the Gush Shalom movement, appealed the legal authority Second Authority's radio and TV to such auction, the second petition filed still pending before the Supreme Court - but as the High Court didn't issue a restraining order, the fact was established and the station began broadcasts.
2. Recent media reports indicate that the station leaders openly consider it a radio station with a clear political and ideological nature, which will compete with radio stations nationwide, distinguishing itself as being a nationalist radio, religious nationalist in particular. For example, at the festive occasion of the opening of the station on 22 February 2010, held at the Givat Ze'ev settlement, Yehoshua Mor Yosef, director general of the station, declared: "'Ga'aley Israel is the radio home of the national camp which includes the audience wearing knitted kippahs [i.e. the religious nationalists], and believes in the right of Israel to maintain a Jewish state in the Land of Israel."
3. You yourself, Minister Kahalon, were the guest of honor at that same event and declared: "This is a festive day for the religious-nationalist public - that believes that this country is ours, proudly and without big wordss, and that our agenda is the love of Israel. Through this station we'll get the message of this [segment of'] the public further. We can show how many good things there are in this country. We will guard the interests of the state against the pressures on us, and as Prime Minister Netanyahu said in Maale Adumim "we were here and will be here forever." With these words you definitely confirm that also you consider the radio station to have a clear political and ideological character, which is affiliated with one side of the political spectrum.
4. Additional and unmistakable confirmation of these matters isprovided by a comprehensive article published by Eyal Levy Maariv (5/3/2010), including an extensive interview with Yehoshua Mor-Yosef. The article noted that "Yehoshua Mor-Yosef is going to make a revolution with his own news department naking a counter-balance to the Left" and that "to the broadcasters and reporters who came to work at the station it was clear which way the wind blows, and preferably it would be Right." Yehoshua Mor-Yosef himself was quoted explicitly confirming the clear political direction of the station, when he spoke of the intention to be "an alternative to Kol Israel a nd Ga'aley Tzahal," which he accused of taking a "leftist line" and "aiding the Arabs." Moreover, Mor-Joseph "the Likud is more interesting, that is the People's Party. Give me the Likud voters as my listeners, and I will feel I did it.
5. In addition to the clear and explicit political positions of the station, I would like to remind and emphasize that in contradiction with the terms of the franchise for it to be a "regional Judea and Samaria station " the heads of the head station announced long before the beginning of the actual broadcasts, that they intend to broadcast throughout the country so it will be a national, and not a regional station. This fact is also reflected in their insistence to run away from the original name "Radiosh" [Radio Judea and Samaria]and replace it with Israel Radio "or" Ga'aley [waves] Israel." In the above quoted article in Maariv, Eyal Levy notes that indeed, since the station began broadcasts it can already be heard in Afula, Zichron Yaacov, Netanya and Tel Aviv. In fact, the station is designed to replace Arutz-7 [Channel 7] (Yehoshua Mor-Yosef was among its senior broadcasters) as a station broadcasting to all citizens of Israel nationalist programs, supporting to continue the occupation rule and in favor of extending settlements.
6. What was supposed to be the "regional station Ga'aley Israel" has become a political and ideological national station aimed at only one side of the political spectrum taking a clear and unequivocal position in the major political argument which tears apart Israeli society since 1967, more than two thirds of all existence of the state. This is a flagrant violation and drastic overturning of the basic rules of law so far in effect at the Israeli Broadcasting World - for radio and television, public as well as commercial - according to which a broadcast station may not take sides on politically controversial issues and must adopt a neutral line in any dispute.
7. It would be better that such a significant change be made through legislation in the Knesset and after comprehensive and appropriate public debate and setting clear procedures. But now that it has been doen in the way that it has been done and facts were established, the establishment and starting to broadcast of the right-wing station requires the establishment of a parallel station also for those who support a peaceful solution between Israel and the Palestinian people and the entire Arab world, based on the partition of the land.
8. Failure to establish a station for the dovish Israeli public, while a station of an ideological Hawkish character continues to be in the air, gravely breaches the delicate balance that exists in the Israeli media - and thus, necessarily, the balance between parties and political forces in the Israeli political spectrum and the democratic process as a whole.
9. Therefore I appeal to you to exercise your authority as Minister of Communication and promote without delay a tender for a regional radio station which would be intended to citizens of Israel seeking peace and which allows them to speak out openly and clearly over the airwaves, on equal terms to those granted to the other political camp.

Given the above and because of the urgency of the matter, I'd be grateful for your speedy response.

Sincerely, Gabi Laski - Attorney

If the Minister of Communications would not answer, Gush Shalom will appeal to the Supreme Court

Adam Keller, Gush Shalom spokesman 054-2340749

See also the article in Ha'aretz