IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman seemingly criticized Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday for sharing on social-media remarks made by Israel Defense Forces’ Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi in a Security Cabinet meeting.
Katz had tweeted that Kochavi was behind the decision to discard Israel’s policy of ambiguity regarding the airstrike in Syria in August targeting an Iranian terrorist cell planning to attack Israel with armed drones.
After Israel announced it had carried out the strike, opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that he had made the activity public in an attempt to score political points ahead of an election.
Katz, a member of the Security Cabinet, tweeted: “Yesterday, the chief of staff made it unequivocally clear that he was behind the public announcement [about the Syria strike] for completely professional reasons.”
Blue and White Party No. 2, said Katz, had attacked the government for the decision, saying the announcement was why Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah had decided to retaliate by firing a missile at an IDF armored vehicle in northern Israel on Sept. 1.
Seemingly in response, Zilberman tweeted, “Regarding reporters’ requests this morning: The IDF respects the confidentiality of Cabinet hearings.”
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.
