Security experts stopped PM from annexing West Bank immediately – report
Netanyahu spoke with the IDF chief of staff and the Shin Bet head in a conference call in which they criticized him for wanting to announce the annexation of Judea and Samaria.
By BEN CASPIT/MAARIVPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking over the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump, after the latter called for US recognition of Israeli soverignty over the Golan Heights, March 21, 2019(photo credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO)
A "screaming match" occurred on Tuesday before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to annex the Jordan Valley after the elections between Netanyahu and senior security leaders.The conversation involved a difficult exchange between the prime minister and the security officials over his upcoming announcement.Netanyahu's announcement was delayed by over an hour due to the conversation.According to some sources, Netanyahu told them of his intention to announce the immediate annexation of the West Bank but changed his position due to harsh criticism from several heads of security branches, as well as legal opinions which addressed potential difficulties attendant to such an annexation as this. Netanyahu had called the security officials a short time before he was to make his speech.None of the heads of the security bodies who were said to criticize Netanyahu agreed to comment.Whatever happened between Prime Minister and Defense Minister Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman and other senior officials became the day's discussion in the corridors of the security facilities. The conversations, according to reports, involved people raising their voices on numerous occasions, usually emphasizing Netanyahu's side. The security officials speaking to him, it was said, spared no words and used particularly sharp language.This article was translated from Maariv by Tamar Beeri.
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