Minister of Regional Cooperation David Amsalem (Likud) on Monday, January 15, from the Knesset rostrum accused the head of the State Camp bloc Benny Gantz of leaking information to the press from meetings of the military-political cabinet. Another minister from the bloc, Hili Truper, came under attack. Amsalem listed him as an accomplice of Gantz. Moreover, Amsalem spoke of Gantz with pointed disdain.
“I’m sitting here and thinking, who benefits (information leaks), – Amsalem began to reason. – Who is interested? Who presents the situation as beneficial to him and distorts it. I came to the conclusion that this is Trooper and the second is Ganz.”
MP Meirav Ben-Ari (Yesh Atid) interrupted the stream of consciousness of the Minister of Regional Cooperation and shouted from the audience: “Aren’t you ashamed?” This did not stop Amsalem from continuing his reasoning and insisting on the accusations of two ministers from the State Camp.
After Amsalem, Minister Healy Trouper rose to the podium: “I hope that Amsalem will apologize for the accusations and undignified style. I’m tired of this style and format.”
Trouper called on the minister to think about how his speeches are perceived by relatives of hostages and families who have lost loved ones in the war. The trooper suggested that Amsalem stop the attacks and insults that are causing division.
Last week, at a government meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed outrage at the scale of information leaks in the media: “There is not a single country that works like this. I don’t know of any democratic regime where there are such leaks. This cannot continue.” The head of government recalled that he had ordered the promotion of a bill that would oblige participants in meetings of the military-political cabinet to periodically undergo a polygraph test. This measure, in his opinion, will prevent leaks.