Not counting him: Bennett updated Lapid and excluded Gantz from the speech about Ron Arad

October 5, 2021   

Naftali Bennett has warned Defense Minister Benny Gantz about his plan to reveal 'Operation Ron Arad' to the public from the Knesset stage. According to News 12, Bennett informed Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and just moments before he went up to give his speech, Bennett turned to the Defense Minister and told him that this was what he intended to do. Gantz had no time to object, even if he wanted to. 'Kan News' reported that Defense Minister Benny Gantz had difficulty hiding his feelings upon entering the government meeting, when asked if the operation was announced on his behalf: "No, no, the Prime Minister will be here soon and you can ask him questions." Despite the compartmentalization, today the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister were scheduled for a routine working meeting. But the speech itself did not go quietly in the coalition. According to 'Kan News', the very use of the message that is the holy of holies of state security - in a political speech - certainly provoked outrage. Bennett addressed the ministers at the government meeting and said: "I was disappointed to hear criticism from within the government on the subject. The motive for the publication was ethical and not political - to honor the Mossad fighters and emphasize that the State of Israel is committed to its fighters even several decades later.".