Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told coalition leaders on Sunday that he plans to shut down the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC), but keep Israel Radio (Reshet B) on air.

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Netanyahu, who has been trying unsuccessfully to shut down the IPBC even before it went live, cited low ratings and a waste of public funds as his reasons for the move.

According to the proposal, raised by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri in coordination with the prime minister, closing the IPBC would save taxpayers some NIS 500 million.

Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: EPA)

During a meeting of coalition party leaders, the ministers discussed ways to raise funds, among other things from KKL-JNF and from the Trans-Israel Pipeline.

"Take the IPBC for example," Shas leader Deri lamented. "We invest NIS 600-800 million a year for 1.5 percent rating. This (could be) a way to save."

Almost all of the ministers agreed, but noted it would be "a shame to close down Israel Radio."

Only Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) raised objections to the proposal. Netanyahu asked to continue discussing the issue with Kahlon in private, and it was decided the two would reach a joint decision.

In a tweet deleted shortly after it was posted, Communications Minister Ayoub Kara wrote shortly after the coalition leaders' meeting: "I was happy to receive the blessing of the prime minister to shut down the IPBC. An end to wasting public funds."

In a response to the planned move, the IPBC said it was "continuing operations as normal, according to the law and at full speed ahead with an increase of dozens of percents in ratings compared to the past, digital exposure to millions of people, providing a quality alternative to commercial broadcasting and saving hundreds of millions of shekels in public funds. We invite the viewers to enjoy five new shows starting this week and an independent and news broadcast, free of political and commercial interests."

The Union of Journalists in Israel slammed the move, saying: "The ink has yet to dry on the High Court's decision to freeze the strange, unnecessary and harmful law to separate the IPBC from its news division, and here are the prime minister and his people trying to deliver another blow in an effort to divert the attention from developments in investigations (against Netanyahu). This is another cynical move by the prime minister, who can't seem to kick the bad habit of abusing public broadcasting and its employees."

Netanyahu, who initially supported the establishment of the IPBC, changed his mind in March 2017, shortly before the new broadcaster was due to go on air.

He attributed his change of positions to a meeting he held with workers of the old public broadcaster, the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA). "In the meeting, I listened to heart-wrenching stories about experiences and dedicated workers sent home because of the IPBC," he wrote in a Facebook post.

"In addition to that, it was revealed during the meeting that, contrary to data by the Finance Ministry, the cost of keeping the IBA running is tens of millions of shekels cheaper than erecting the IPBC. So what do we even need it for?"

This led to a dispute with Kahlon, with Netanyahu threatening to hold early elections if the political spat is not resolved.

A compromise was reach to separate the IPBC from its news division and creating two different bodies, but the High Court of Justice has since issued a temporary injunction against the move. The IPBC went live in early May after several postponements.