early March 1980

The MV Peace was dry docked in Haifa to repair storm damage, and allow examination for insurance purposes.  At the same time equipment was installed for the introduction of an FM service.  

18th April 1980

The Voice of Peace returned to the air on AM and FM.

27th January 1981

Storms again caused damage to the MV Peace, including the collapse of the aerial mast putting the Voice of Peace off the air.

28th January 1981

The MV Peace sailed into Ashdod and the station was silent for a total of seventeen days while repairs were carried out.

13th February 1981

Test transmissions for the Voice of Peace started again at 8.00pm with normal programmes resuming a couple of hours later.

23rd February 1981

The new mast only lasted ten days before it too snapped putting the Voice of Peace off the air.

27th February 1981

After rigging up a wire aerial using the ship's own masts the Voice of Peace to return to the air on medium wave only.

mid-April 1981

A new aerial mast was erected on board the ship, but difficulties were still being experienced in returning the FM transmitter to the air.

9th August 1981

Abie Nathan asked for permission to operate the Voice of Peace from land in Israel, otherwise he would close the station would close down, and sail the MV Peace to Ireland where he planned to broadcast peace messages for fourteen days before selling the ship.

31st December 1981

With the authorities refusing to grant a landbased licence, the Voice of Peace closed at midnight

1st January 1982

The MV Peace sailed close to the shore off Tel Aviv.  

The first reading of the bill to allow the Voice of Peace to broadcast from land was read.   

2nd January 1982

Voice of Peace programmes were 'broadcast' to an audience on the beach.

8th January 1982  

The MV Peace sailed to Ashdod, and some minor repairs were carried out.

26th January 1982

The Knesset Economic Committee gave its approval to a Bill allowing the Voice of Peace to broadcast from shore. The licence granted was a temporary one for three months and it had a number of conditions attached.

9th February 1982

The Bill to allow the Voice of Peace to broadcast from land passed its first reading in the Knesset..

15th February 1982

The ultra-orthadox religious party, Agudat Israel, objected to Abie Nathan's licence application, they didn't want the Voice of Peace to broadcast on the Shabbat.

16th February 1982

Abie Nathan said that he did not have the financial or the mental strength to fight for the licence and withdrew the application.  

19th February 1982  

The MV Peace went back to sea and the Voice of peace resumed broadcasts.  Abie Nathan At 5.00pm Abie Nathan announced his ideas for the future of the Peace ship - to leave Israel and sail to Ireland.  The station closed again at 9.00pm that evening.