Energy Minister Denies Netanyahu Met Egyptian Spy Chief Before Oct. 7
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Energy Minister Eli Cohen denied reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the head of Egyptian intelligence before October 7th, calling the claims a political "fake campaign." Cohen suggested former Shin Bet and Mossad chiefs would know who the Egyptian official met with. He also warned Iran against attacking Israel, predicting a severe response, and criticized potential "change bloc" government formations. Cohen urged right-wing voters to support the Likud to ensure a victory.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Energy Minister Eli Cohen denied claims that Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Egyptian intelligence chief before October 7th.
- Cohen suggested former Shin Bet and Mossad heads would know who the Egyptian intelligence chief met in Israel.
- Minister Cohen warned Iran would face a decisive blow if it acted against Israel.
- He predicted the Iranian regime's downfall through military and economic pressure.
- Cohen criticized potential "change bloc" government formations and urged right-wing voters to support Likud.
- He defended Netanyahu's leadership and criticized Gadi Eisenkot's war-related positions.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen has refuted claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the head of Egyptian intelligence prior to the October 7th Hamas attacks. Cohen stated, "I don't know who he met with, but I know for certain he did not meet with the Prime Minister." He characterized the reports as a "fake campaign" aimed at harming the Likud party ahead of elections, adding that Netanyahu is pursuing defamation lawsuits against those spreading the "lie."
Cohen suggested that either the former head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, or the former head of the Mossad would know who the Egyptian intelligence chief met with in Israel. He asserted that the Egyptian intelligence chief's natural counterpart would be his Israeli equivalent, not the Prime Minister. "It would be appropriate to ask them: Did you meet with him? Did you receive a warning? And if you didn't meet him, who did meet him? I am almost certain one of them will be able to provide the answers," Cohen said.
Turning to Iran, Cohen warned that any action against Israel would result in a severe response. "If Iran makes a mistake and thinks of acting against the State of Israel, it will receive a decisive blow," he stated. He believes the Iranian regime is a global problem, causing regional instability and pursuing nuclear weapons, and predicted its downfall through a combination of military pressure and economic sanctions, a path he sees President Trump pursuing with Israel.
In a political segment, Cohen criticized the "change bloc" parties, expressing concern about potential government formations with the support of Arab parties. He specifically mentioned not wanting to imagine Yair Golan as Defense Minister or Abbas on the Finance Committee. He also warned right-wing voters against supporting smaller parties like Ofer Winter's, claiming they would not pass the electoral threshold and would effectively waste their votes, potentially jeopardizing a right-wing victory.
Cohen also defended Netanyahu's handling of the current situation, contrasting it with Gadi Eisenkot's positions. He claimed that listening to Eisenkot's advice regarding the war would have resulted in Nasrallah, Sinwar, and Khamenei still being alive, and credited Netanyahu's leadership with making Israel the strongest power in the Middle East.
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