Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is demanding full control of Israel’s Iran policy as Joe Biden prepares to assume the Oval Office, setting off a fierce fight at the highest echelons of Israel’s government, senior Israeli officials tell me.
Why it matters: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to take a very hard line over Biden’s plan to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, in contrast with the more moderate approach favored by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and the heads of Israel’s security services.
Driving the news: On Dec. 29, under orders from Netanyahu, Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben Shabbat sent a one-sentence letter to Gantz:
“According to the Prime Minister’s instructions the Israeli government position regarding the Iran nuclear deal will be finalized exclusively by the Prime Minister on the basis of analysis done by the national security council in the Prime Minister’s office.”
Axios obtained the contents of the letter, which was also sent to Ashkenazi, Israeli ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer, Mossad director Yossi Cohen and IDF chief of staff General Aviv Kochavi. No explanation was provided as to the timing of the letter or why it was sent, Israeli officials tell me.
Behind the scenes: Gantz was stunned by Netanyahu’s letter and replied two days later with a letter of his own. Gantz wrote that the prime minister does indeed have the authority to finalize Israel’s position, but not to disregard almost the entire security establishment and intelligence community while also bypassing Israel’s security cabinet.
Read more at Axios.
{Matzav.com}
