Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Bnei Gantz announced on Friday that the government will approve, at its meeting today, the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the submarine and vessel affair. But as of last night, it seems that the establishment of the committee will not go to a vote at the cabinet meeting. The reasoning: "Legal technical matter".
A source in the political system says that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was among those pushing for a decision on the establishment of the committee.
According to him, by actually establishing the committee, Bennett and Lapid are interested in signaling to Netanyahu that a plea deal in his trial will not pave his way back to the political system, since, even if he ends with the trial, an in-depth investigation awaits him.
Around the prime minister say it has not yet decided how to vote.
According to them, at the moment the decision in the government is being delayed so as not to interfere with the submarine deal that is supposed to be signed with Germany these days.
Prime Minister Bennett and opposition leader Netanyahu, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Lapid: "We promised, we kept"
As stated, despite the official announcement that the government will approve the establishment of the committee, it is still unclear whether this will happen.
One of the reasons for the delay is the law's requirement for the government to publish the content of its decisions 48 hours before its weekly meeting - a step that has not been taken.
Defense Minister Ganz said in an official statement issued on Friday that "the establishment of a commission of inquiry is a necessary step in maintaining Israel's security. This is a national need, and I thank the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Justice and all those who support the resolution."
Foreign Minister Lapid added in the joint statement that "we promised the Israeli public that we will not give up on the investigation of the affair - and we did. The submarine and vessel affair is the most serious security corruption case in Israeli history, Israeli citizens".
"Distraction"
The Likud attacked the decision, saying that "while this government is lowering the country, it is trying to divert the public's attention from recycling another idle investigation. The public sees the failure, and this government will be quickly replaced."
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