6/19/2024–|Last updated: 6/19/202406:03 PM (Mecca time)
Israeli Army Radio reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir – today, Wednesday – that if he wants to join the mini-consultative body that replaces the War Council, he must prove that he does not leak state secrets.
Ben Gvir responded to Netanyahu by saying that his party supports legislating the lie detector law and circulating it to members of the mini-ministerial council, on the condition that it includes those who have a pacemaker. By that, he meant Netanyahu, who underwent a pacemaker implantation operation more than a year ago.
Netanyahu had previously proposed a bill to subject ministers to a lie detector test, to stop leaks, but it was not passed.
Netanyahu refuses to include Ben Gvir in the security consultation sessions, even though he participates in the sessions of the mini-ministerial council for security and political affairs (cabinet) and the expanded government.
Ben Gvir refuses
The newspaper “Israel Today” had previously reported that Netanyahu had offered Ben Gvir to join a consultative body and review security reports, but Ben Gvir rejected the offer.
The State Camp party, led by Benny Gantz, responded to this debate by saying, “If Netanyahu believes that a minister is leaking state secrets, why does he grant him control over the Israel Police and membership in the mini-ministerial council?”
For his part, opposition leader Yair Lapid said – on the X platform – “I read what Bibi (Netanyahu) said about Ben Gvir, and what Ben Gvir said about Bibi, and I agree with both.”
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time that Netanyahu and Ben Gvir have clashed publicly, as the latter repeatedly threatened to topple the government if Netanyahu agreed to stop the war on the Gaza Strip before achieving its goals and concluding a prisoner exchange deal.
