Netanyahu Criticized for Appointing Politician Tzachi Hanegbi to National Security Post

Tzachi Hanegbi, who served for decades as a Knesset member and minister for the Likud party, has declared he will no longer vote for Benjamin Netanyahu, but for Avigdor Lieberman. This statement comes amidst criticism of Hanegbi's role as Head of the National Security Council (NSC) during the October 7th events. Legal affairs analyst Avishai Grinzaig highlighted Hanegbi's appointment by Netanyahu in January 2023, shortly before the government's formation, as a political move. Grinzaig argued that this appointment deviated from the recommendations of past state comptrollers and inquiry committees, such as the Winograd Commission, which emphasized the need for the NSC to have a central role in formulating security policy and to be led by individuals with significant security and intelligence experience.

In contrast to previous NSC heads like Uzi Arad, Yakov Amidror, Yossi Cohen, Yakov Nagel, Meir Ben Shabbat, and Eyal Hulata, who had extensive backgrounds in security and intelligence agencies, Hanegbi is described as a politician and "political chameleon" with no prior experience in these fields. The article points to his past vote in favor of the Gaza disengagement plan, which he reportedly considered a strategic disaster, as an example of his political expediency. Hanegbi himself explained his vote in 2020 by stating he was unwilling to be "the sucker" who voted against it and would pay a personal price.

Grinzaig suggests that Netanyahu's primary motivation for appointing Hanegbi was to have a compliant "yes-man" at the head of the NSC, someone without strong ideological convictions or professional relevance to the role, who would not challenge the prime minister's or the security establishment's strategic views. This appointment, made before the judicial reform initiative, is seen as unrelated to later tensions between Netanyahu and security chiefs. The article also recalls Hanegbi's public prediction in 2021 that Hamas would not dare attack Israel for 15 years, a statement widely ridiculed even before the October 7th attacks.

The author criticizes Hanegbi for his public pronouncements, particularly his current endorsement of Lieberman, deeming it shameless given his perceived failures. The piece concludes by questioning Netanyahu's decision to appoint someone lacking professional qualifications and values to such a critical position, arguing that the NSC's role is to challenge security assumptions and present alternative perspectives, which Hanegbi was not expected to do.