ALBAWABA - After Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz said that Likud lawmaker Tali Gottlieb would be joining the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, one of the most secretive and powerful groups in the Israeli parliament, a major political controversy broke out.
The Likud Party made this decision as a punishment for veteran member Yuli Edelstein, who was punished for supporting a plan to apply Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. This has caused a split in the ruling coalition.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett quickly criticized the appointment, calling it "deeply irresponsible." He said this was because there were still suspicions that Gottlieb had previously leaked classified information and broken Shin Bet rules.
Bennett said, "Putting someone who broke state secrecy under investigation in charge of Israel's most sensitive intelligence is dangerous." "Politics has once again come before national security," it says.
"The Holy of Holies" of Israeli Oversight
Bennett called the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee the "Holy of Holies" of Israel's national security oversight. Members of this group are briefed on very secret information, sometimes even more than what is shared with the security cabinet.
He said that the committee has always been seen as a symbol of discipline, privacy, and shared responsibility across party lines, where army chiefs, prime ministers, and intelligence officials from Mossad and Shin Bet can talk openly and honestly.
Bennett ended by saying, "This committee has always been a rare island of seriousness and accountability." "Putting that tradition at risk weakens the very foundation of Israel's security oversight."
