Minister's House: Who said Gantz does not know how to do politics?

The establishment of a search committee for the GLC commander, a move that came only after being pushed into a corner, will not change the feeling that Galit Altstein's appointment as deputy is a heavy political cloud. Interpretation

David Wertheim

28/12/2021

Tuesday, 28 December 2021, 08:02

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Ganz realized that he would not be able to close the station, and perhaps even worse - he knew in advance that the station would not close, and used the threat of closing only to silence and threaten political voices, most of them supporters of Netanyahu and the right.

About six months late, Defense Minister Bnei Gantz announced yesterday that he would send a search committee to the next IDF commander. To the Minister of Defense and the Attorney General, demanding the establishment of an orderly locating committee and bringing the appointment of a permanent commander to the station.

As we estimated here about four months ago, Ganz realized that he would not be able to close the station, and perhaps even worse - he knew in advance that the station would not close, and used the closure threat only to silence and threaten political voices, most of whom support Netanyahu and the right. And so - within six months, the Minister of Defense managed to turn the idea of ​​the "dramatic (and hermetic) closure he solemnly announced, into" removing the station outside the walls of the Ministry of Defense ", and from there to a" work plan ", and then to a" preferred option ". "Option" only - until it is finally decided to archive the idea (until next time, of course).

The announcement of the archiving of the idea of ​​closing the GLC reinforces questions that arose in Walla! Brenze already with the appointment of Galit Altstein to replace the station commander in early September. He did not intend to close the station, did he make a public statement that he intended to close it, just so that he could appoint a quick temporary personal appointment, in the form of Altstein, which he could later turn almost naturally with or without a locating committee for permanent appointment? For once Gantz announced the termination of the post of former commander Shimon Alkabetz, and his intention to close (or change its designation) the military station, he and his staff could estimate that very few candidates would seek to serve as deputies until it was decided to carry out the station closure. No one wants to be a gravedigger. Ganz could have named Altstein, who will now come to the search conference with a clear advantage over all the other candidates of one who "is already in her position anyway,"When the future of the station is no longer shrouded in mist (until next time, of course).

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No one wants to be a gravedigger.

Ganz (Photo: Flash 90, Jonathan Zindel)

Lack of transparency

Altstein worked under Benyahu, as a senior editor and head of the news department, the latter serving as commander of the GLC. Benyahu tweeted this week that his foster daughter has all the skills to head the station. He may be right, but that is not the question

According to sources at the military broadcasting station - the main mediator who worked with Gantz behind the scenes to promote the appointment of the station's exit, Altstein, is a former GLC commander and currently advisor Avi Benyahu. . Benyahu tweeted this week that his foster daughter has all the skills to head the station. He may be right, but that's not the question at all.

The question is whether the appointment, in so far as it becomes a permanent appointment, is made properly. The impression created - starting with the deliberate omission in the Ministry of Defense's announcement of Altstein's appointment as temporary commander, what will be the time period for the appointment? Through the lack of transparency as to why Altstein gave up a stable position as head of the Calcalist newspaper's newsroom for only three months in the GLC?

To all this must be added the fact that it is difficult to escape the fact that Altstein "supplied the goods" to her financier during the writers' months in which she sits in the deputy chair - she shortened the program of Jacob Bardugo, Ganz's biggest enemy in the media, reduced his appearances during the week, and dismissed Rosh The news system, Amir Ivgi (who had previously said in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth: "If there had been more Amir Ivgi in the media, Netanyahu would not have come to the investigations").

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Addicted game

An independent locating committee should be set up, in contrast to the last committees appointed by the Minister of Defense and his associates, and miraculously issued recommendations that fully matched his initial intentions to appoint the station commander

The changes and appointments of a temporary headquarters also paint the whole move in political colors: the dismissal of Ivgi, and the appointment of journalist Ilan Lior, a graduate of the station, head of the news department, the beating heart of the GLC - problematic to say the least. It is not clear to him (or her) that he will be the one who will be appointed a permanent subscriber at the end of things.

And now the question arises who at all will apply for the position of station commander in the circumstances that have arisen? Will esteemed journalists and those with a proper record at all want to compete for a role in this game? According to the publications, in addition to the previous locating committee in 2017, in addition to the station's elected commander, Shimon Alkabetz, former chairman of the Cable and Satellite Council, Yifat Ben-Hai-Segev, then RGE's VP of Digital and now editor of Walla! Eran Tiefenbrun, a network administrator in the former, Chico Menashe, and former Army Radio program director Maya glow-Kerman.

Alongside those mentioned in almost perpetual worthy role also conducts the program "Real Time" Tali Ben Ovadia, News military analyst Alon Ben 13 David and even new names that only recently emerged as Altstein's competitors for the position in the days when the sword of closure was hoisted on her - veteran station wife Tali Lipkin Shachak and military correspondent Tal Lev-Ram.

The shocking revelations in recent years about the footsteps of politicians in the public and commercial media in Israel, necessitate a fundamental change in the method of electing a GLC commander - an independent locating committee must be set up, unlike the last committees appointed by the defense minister and associates. Recommendations that fully matched his initial intentions to appoint the station commander.

"Supplied the goods."

Altstein (Photo: GLC)

And above all this hovers the political question, what will happen to the station if in the next election the government (and control of the station) returns to the Likud - will the changes that Gantz leads not return like a boomerang to the station, which will be in danger of closing again?

With Network B in the background, which is a clear victory over GLC in the battle for the listeners, and with a blow to the rear of regional stations, which are gradually taking over the topicality slot and leading the national news agenda - it is not at all certain that this solution is not a necessary honor.

• Brenze

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• IDF army radio station

• Galit Altstein

• Avi Banyahu