Party leaders on the Left blasted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu following
the release of the Harpaz Report on Sunday, saying it showed his lack of
responsibility in matters of national security.
Labor leader Shelly
Yacimovich said the report shows that Defense Minister Ehud Barak and former IDF
chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi have “twisted” motivations when making decisions
that influence the fate of the State of Israel.
“It is clear, beyond any
doubt, that the military level is below the government in a civilized democratic
state, and if this is not kept, it must be taken care of,” she
stated.
Yacimovich added that the report brings up a “disturbing
question: Where was Netanyahu, and did he not think this behavior harmed
national security?” The Labor chairwoman slammed the prime minister for his
“lack of leadership in an incomprehensible situation,” saying the report is one
of many examples of the government’s negligence in making important
decisions.
Tzipi Livni said the Harpaz Report, together with former Shin
Bet chief Yuval Diskin’s criticism of the prime minister, show that Netanyahu is
“unable to manage, with a steady hand, Israel’s national security
issues.”
“Netanyahu prefers narrow political interests over national
ones, and has failed once again,” Livni stated.
On the right, the Strong
Israel Party called Barak and Ashkenazi “liars” and called for Attorney-General
Yehuda Weinstein to investigate them.
“Ashkenazi tried to start a putsch
against the government, and Barak destroyed evidence,” party leaders MKs Arieh
Eldad and Michael Ben-Ari stated. “We cannot allow this to happen again.”