Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Security Cabinet ministers on Monday that the Jewish state was not involved in the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Friday, and that the Jewish state must not be dragged into the increasing conflict, reported Axios, citing two ministers who attended the meeting.
“The killing of Soleimani is a U.S. event, not an Israeli event, and we should stay out of it,” said Netanyahu, according to the ministers.
The report mentioned that the Israeli leader has instructed Cabinet ministers not to address the media about the issue in order to avoid making it appear that Israel was part of the operation.
Instead, the ministers can only say to the press about the killing is that the United States has the right to defend itself, according to the report.
The Mossad’s director and head of military intelligence “told ministers during the meeting that for now, the probability of an Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel is low, and that ‘Israel stayed in a distance from the incident,’ ” reported Axios. “The intelligence chiefs told the Cabinet that Iran will start developing its retaliation on Tuesday, when the period of national mourning for Soleimani’s death is over.”
