‘This time Netanyahu is helpless in the face of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich’s demands.’ PM urging top brass to rein his own ‘extremist’ ministers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recruited senior Israeli security officials for his bid to rein in nationalist members of his coalition government, Ma’ariv reported Tuesday morning.
Citing officials privy to the details of Netanyahu’s conversations with top security brass, the report claims that the prime minister has placed ongoing pressure on senior security officials to challenge “the extremists in the government,” with a particular emphasis on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) and Minister in the Defense Ministry and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party).
The officials quoted in the report said Netanyahu has repeatedly asked security chiefs to “get [Smotrich and Ben-Gvir] to ease up” on major security matters.
Netanyahu is said to have made multiple phone calls to the respective directors of every major Israeli security and intelligence organization – including the Mossad, the Shin Bet, and the IDF – to dissuade Smotrich and Ben-Gvir from pursuing policies Netanyahu opposes.
One official quoted anonymously in the report said that while this is not the first time Netanyahu has pressured ministers to his Right to toe the line, it is the first time he has relied on security chiefs to so.
“There were also extremist elements in previous governments established by Netanyahu, but Netanyahu knew how to handle them himself, or did so via political alliances in the Cabinet.”
“This time there is a new reality. Netanyahu is helpless against the demands made by Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, and is trying with all his strength to enlist the support and ability to convince [them] in order to induce them to drop their demands, their ideas, their places, and their policies that they are trying to implement.
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