Kol Israel (“The Voice of Israel”) was Israel’s national public radio service from 1948 until May 2017, when it was succeeded by KAN, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. Emerging from the British Mandate’s Palestine Broadcasting Service and the Haganah’s underground radio operations, it evolved into a nationwide broadcasting network organized around multiple channels known as Reshet.

Kol Israel played a central role in shaping Israeli national identity, helping standardize modern spoken Hebrew through the authoritative voices of announcers such as Moshe Hovav. Its extensive international and foreign-language services—including Kol Zion LaGolah, Reshet Hey, REKA, and dedicated language desks such as the Romanian service—connected Jewish communities across the diaspora, reached Soviet Jews denied the freedom to emigrate, and brought Israeli news and culture to audiences throughout the Middle East.

As a vital national communications institution, Kol Israel broadcast live during defining moments in the country’s history, including the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann and successive Arab-Israeli wars. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, its broadcasts played a crucial role in military mobilization, transmitting coded reserve-call-up messages known as sismot giyus. Across nearly seven decades, Kol Israel served as a cornerstone of Israeli public life, preserving the Hebrew language, connecting dispersed Jewish communities, and documenting the nation’s most consequential historical events.

Disclaimer: Dor LeDor podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Content is AI-assisted and fact-checked for historical accuracy. Views expressed are our own; listeners should conduct independent research. We accept no liability for errors or omissions.