Netanyahu, Lapid Tussle Over Security Briefing

By Yisrael Price

YERUSHALAYIM – Israeli law mandates that the prime minister regularly brief the opposition leader on security matters, and interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid has accordingly invited opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu to come in for one—but not in a manner acceptable to Netanyahu.

Lapid said Netanyahu could receive security updates in a meeting with himself and his military secretary, Avi Gil.

In a phone call Friday, Lapid’s spokesperson said that he invited Netanyahu to “come, as is accepted, for a security briefing in [Lapid’s] office with the military secretary.”

But according to Netanyahu’s spokesperson, he insisted on a briefing from Avi Gil, but without Lapid being present, “in order to prevent the security briefing from turning into a political tool ahead of elections.”

Netanyahu’s apparent concern is not to be seen, and possibly photographed, being briefed by the prime minister he is seeking to defeat.

During the past year, Netanyahu had his way with former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who agreed to be absent from the briefings provided for Netanyahu by Avi Gil.