Israel's Defense Minister Denies Reports of Disagreements on Iran Policy
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
Defense Minister Israel Katz has denied reports of rifts between Israel's political leadership and the IDF concerning Iran policy, asserting full coordination and no intention to attack Iran before elections. He stated that any Iranian attack would be met with a powerful response. The denial follows reports that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir sought detailed legal backing for potential actions. Opposition figures have criticized the Prime Minister over the matter.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Defense Minister Israel Katz denied reports of disagreements between the political echelon and the IDF on Iran.
- Katz stated Israel had no intention to initiate an attack on Iran before the upcoming elections.
- He affirmed complete coordination between Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Defense Ministry, and the IDF.
- Reports suggested Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir sought detailed legal backing for potential actions against Iran.
- Opposition figures Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Lieberman criticized the Prime Minister over the issue.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday categorically denied reports of disagreements between the political echelon and the IDF regarding Iran policy, stating that Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the elections. He asserted that coordination on the matter among Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Defense Ministry, and the military is complete, with the sole guiding principle being the state's security.
"I state unequivocally that there was no intention by Israel to initiate an attack on Iran before the elections in Israel," Katz said. He added that if Iran were to attack Israel, the response would be "with great force." Katz dismissed reports of disputes between the IDF and the political leadership as "completely unfounded and false."
Katz explained that since taking office, there has been full coordination with the IDF on the Iran issue, which has led to "unprecedented historic achievements for the benefit of Israel's security." He emphasized that this is the only consideration and will remain so in the future.
The denial comes in response to reports suggesting that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir had reservations about potential actions against Iran, fearing escalation near the elections. According to a report by Yaron Avraham, Zamir requested an in-depth discussion and legal, signed authorizations before executing any directive from the political level.
In the wake of these publications, Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan criticized Netanyahu and expressed support for the Chief of Staff. Avigdor Lieberman, Chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, even approached the Attorney General demanding an investigation against the Prime Minister on charges of "treason," alleging that he was promoting actions against Iran for electoral gain.
Katz rejected these accusations, criticizing the opposition's reactions. "The attempt by opposition figures to exploit these publications to attack the Prime Minister and myself and to cast doubt on our considerations, while we are prevented for understandable reasons from addressing the details of the Iranian issue, is shameful and irresponsible," he stated, concluding, "We will overcome this too."
Mentioned
