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Israeli officials revealed to the “Axios” website that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is demanding full control of Israel’s policy towards Iran, which could lead to disputes in the Israeli government.
Netanyahu is preparing to take a very hard line on US President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, in contrast to the more moderate approach preferred by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, the Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and the heads of Israel and the security services.
According to Israeli officials, on Netanyahu’s orders, Israel’s National Security Advisor Meir Ben Shabat sent a letter to Gantz on December 29, stating: “In accordance with the prime minister’s directives, the Israeli government’s position regarding The Iranian nuclear deal will be determined exclusively by The Prime Minister has been accepted on the basis of analysis carried out by the National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s office. “
The message was also sent to Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel’s Ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer, Mossad Director Yossi Cohen, and the Israeli army chief of staff, General Aviv Kochavi.
Gantz was shocked by Netanyahu’s message, to which he responded by saying, “He (Netanyahu) does indeed have the authority to finalize Israel’s position, but he hardly ignores the entire security establishment and intelligence community by eluding the cabinet. of Israeli security “. He added: “The issue of security, especially the Iranian file, is not the prerogative of a single person.”
Gantz stressed that Israel’s policy on the Iran deal must be the result of a comprehensive analysis that includes all national security agencies and Israel’s foreign policy, not just the National Security Council, which reports directly to Netanyahu.
Axios reported that while all major players agree on the strategic goal of preventing Biden from accepting a deal that harms Israeli security, they do not agree on the tactics.
The site indicated that Netanyahu was disturbed by rumors that during the visit of the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, Gantz and several high-ranking generals in the Israeli army expressed a more moderate position on the Iranian deal.
RT
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