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Bennett, Ya’alon clash over anticipated Protective Edge report
Israel’s Education Minister and its former Defence Minister exchanged sharp words yesterday over the performance of the country’s political leadership during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in 2014.
Speaking at a conference hosted by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Education Minister and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett urged the publication of a much anticipated State Comptroller’s report into the performance of the security cabinet during Operation Protective Edge.
The report is expected to be critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the defence minister at the time, Moshe Ya’alon, particularly for failing to adequately inform the security cabinet over the threat of Hamas tunnels. Sections of transcripts from security cabinet meetings during the conflict were leaked and published in Yediot Ahronot earlier this week.
Speaking at the INSS conference, Bennett said: “The rigidity of the thinking of the state leaders is the root of the failure… We don’t need more rigidity and shuffling but rather victory – clear and absolute victory. Victory that does not necessitate explanations and excuses. Victory that does not necessitate public relations.”
At the same conference, Ya’alon directly challenged Bennett’s assessment. He said: “In its entirety, the war was a success… We stopped the Hamas threat, blew up the tunnels, and achieved our goals and a ceasefire on our terms. Since then, the South has benefited from unprecedented quiet.”
Describing the conflict as “an example of responsible and carefully considered leadership,” he took aim at “politicians who have no redlines, leaks from the cabinet minutes – a tactic to obtain a few more likes on Facebook. Whoever does this is not fit to be a leader”.
In a separate development, Netanyahu appeared to defend his record at a meeting of heads of municipal councils in Tel Aviv, where he quoted exerts from security cabinet meetings six months before Operation Protective Edge in which the tunnels were discussed.
The Knesset State Control subcommittee said yesterday that it had delayed a decision over publishing the State Comptroller report until Sunday, owing to security issues.