After Halevy was banned from recording meetings… Why is Netanyahu afraid of the army? | Policy

Occupied Jerusalem – The requirement for a female security guard in the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deepenedThe army chief of staff, Herzi Halevy, was searched and made sure he was not carrying a recording device, before entering a security consultation session for the “war cabinet.” The crisis of trust between Netanyahu and the leaders of the security and military services, at a time when the ground battle in the Gaza Strip is raging.

With the extent of the intelligence failure to prevent an operation revealed “Al-Aqsa Flood”A week after the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu gave instructions to his office staff and those close to him to prohibit recording any deliberations and discussions related to the conduct of the war.

These measures were followed by strong criticism directed by the Prime Minister to the commanders of the army and intelligence services, which were met with disapproval from opposition leaders, partners in the emergency government, members of the “war cabinet,” Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and the head of the “National Camp,” Benny Gantz, who demanded that Netanyahu To stop criticizing the army and exploiting the war on the Gaza Strip for political goals.

Amid these measures and Netanyahu’s approach to managing the war on Gaza, his dealings with the leaders of the military and security services, and his allocation of huge budgets to the parties participating in the coalition to prevent the disintegration of his government, voices rose in the “National Camp” demanding that Gantz resign from the emergency government and withdraw from the “war cabinet.”

Political goals

The tension between Netanyahu and Gantz reached its peak with the approval of the amended budget for 2023 in the first reading, and Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich refused to transfer government coalition funds to war needs, according to Moran Azoulay, a political analyst on the Yedioth Ahronoth website.

Azoulay pointed to the growing voices within the Blue and White party, headed by Gantz, to withdraw from the emergency government, while the partners in the “National Camp,” members of the “New Hope” party headed by Gideon Sa’ar, expressed their opposition to the step of dismantling the government during the war period.

Some members of the “National Camp” believe that Netanyahu is using the war for political goals coinciding with the electoral campaign phase, and that the camp will be harmed if it remains a partner in the emergency government coalition, while others believe that it is a mistake to withdraw from the government at this critical stage of the war, according to what they were quoted as saying. Azoulay.

After hearing the opinions of most members of the “National Camp,” Gantz asked to summarize the discussion, saying, “I do not act for political considerations. I do what is good for Israel. I do not get up and leave when it is not good. In any case, when you do what is right for Israel, “The people support you politically.”

A crisis of confidence

Investigative journalist Avi Bar Eli explained that Netanyahu’s instructions to his staff to prohibit recording any deliberations and sessions of the government, ministries, and the “war cabinet” in particular, aim to ensure an infrastructure for political maneuvering for Netanyahu and his followers in managing the war on Gaza, and to document the progress of the war from his point of view. It’s just him.

He pointed out that the interception by the security guard in the Prime Minister’s Office of the Chief of Staff and his search before entering the “war cabinet” session reflects the crisis of trust between the army leaders and Netanyahu, who refused to bear personal responsibility for the failure to prevent the sudden attack, and placed responsibility on the leaders of the army and the security and intelligence services.

Eli, who is head of the investigative reporting department at Die Marker newspaper, reported that Netanyahu’s office prevented Israeli army officers from recording cabinet and cabinet discussions regarding the progress and development of the war on Gaza, and ordered them to leave the recording devices outside, even though the recordings are required for operational needs. It has been applied for years.

The investigative journalist says that, with these measures, Netanyahu’s office not only tightens his grip on the conduct of the war, but also in defining and formulating the narrative regarding responsibility for the failure to prevent the events of Black Saturday, and the positive and negative developments of the war.

Document monopoly

The same proposition was adopted by the political affairs correspondent for the Israeli Channel 13, Sefi Ovadia, who estimated that the Prime Minister’s Office’s measures to prevent the introduction of recording devices into consultations and sessions related to the conduct of the war on Gaza ultimately aim to monopolize materials, documents, and papers related to the war on Gaza and fail to prevent a surprise attack. Until after the end of the war, when an official commission of inquiry will be held.

The political affairs correspondent explained that what appears to be a conflict and disagreement between Netanyahu’s office and the Chief of Staff regarding recording and documenting the consultations reflects the depth of the crisis between Netanyahu and the army, and is an attempt by him to prevent the army from having any documentation of its own related to discussing the war on Gaza.

Ovadia pointed out that the recording of Cabinet and cabinet sessions by the Israeli army has been acceptable and has been in practice for many years with the agreement of all parties and the government secretariat. In general, the army uses the recordings to “quickly retrieve” the discussion protocol related to the guidelines, and to explain security points and issues.

Hidden conflict

In the same context, journalist Gadi Weitz revealed that Netanyahu’s office requested secret documents from the period of previous governments, which were transferred to Netanyahu’s office, while the Israeli government’s judicial advisor, Gali Beharav Meara, prevented the transfer of full minutes of meetings. Because its transportation and delivery violates government regulations.

Weitz, who serves as head of the investigative reporting department at Haaretz newspaper, explained that since October 7, Netanyahu has refused to bear responsibility for the sudden attack on Israel, as he seeks to shift responsibility onto the senior security establishment and his opponents in the previous government. .

He pointed out that Netanyahu assigned a senior member of the Likud Party the task of collecting documents that would give a negative impression and distort the image of officials in the security and military institutions, and hold them fully responsible for the intelligence failure and preventing the sudden attack.

Narrative formulation

Regarding these practices and approaches of Netanyahu, his office staff, and those close to Likud and the right-wing camp, the government’s legal advisor sent a letter to the Israeli National Security Advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi, and a copy to the head of the Shin Bet General Security Agency, Ronen Bar, in which she requested the collection of secret materials obtained by Netanyahu.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth’s legal affairs correspondent, Tofa Tsimoki, these instructions aim to prevent Netanyahu from monopolizing any documents and papers related to the conduct of the war on Gaza, and obtaining the protocols of previous government sessions.

Tsimoki suggested that preventing Netanyahu from possessing secret protocols and materials from the “war cabinet” sessions would make it difficult for Netanyahu and his men to collect materials and formulate a narrative to help him evade responsibility for the failure to prevent a Hamas attack, or the discrepancy in positions and failure to achieve the declared war goals.