[59646] The mysterious deal surrounding the Subcommittee on Intelligence: Netanyahu acts to appoint Moshe Passal
[59646] The mysterious deal surrounding the Subcommittee on Intelligence: Netanyahu acts to appoint Moshe Passal
Prime Minister Netanyahu is attempting to resolve the struggle over the appointment to the Subcommittee on Intelligence, by pressuring Knesset members to give up their seats in favor of a promise apparently made to Gideon Sa'ar.
The struggle over the Subcommittee on Intelligence: Behind the scenes of the political deal
A political system is in turmoil over the appointment to the Subcommittee on Intelligence, which is considered one of the most sensitive and influential roles in the Knesset. According to Moti Kastel's report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working intensively to appoint Knesset member Moshe Passal to the role, a move intended, according to estimates, to appease Minister Gideon Sa'ar ahead of the upcoming elections.
According to sources, the move follows a verbal commitment given to Sa'ar when he returned to the coalition, a commitment that does not appear in official documents. According to the 'Politics Updates' Telegram channel, Netanyahu approached Knesset members Tally Gotliv and Dudu Amsalem with a request to withdraw their candidacy for the role "for the sake of party unity." In response to this pressure, MK Gotliv announced that she is acceding to the Prime Minister's request and giving up the role in favor of Passal.
The affair reveals further political complexity surrounding the future of Passal himself, as according to Kastel's report, he is expected to find himself out of the next Knesset due to Sa'ar's decision to occupy the reserved spot granted to his faction. At the same time, Sa'ar is trying to assist MK Elkin in the primaries, which adds internal tension to the system.
The Subcommittee on Intelligence has been operating understaffed since the removal of MK Yuli Edelstein from the position, due to the "stubborn battle" of Knesset members who sought to be appointed to the prestigious role. It appears that now, Netanyahu is trying to quiet the arena through the revealed "deal," with the goal of stabilizing coalition ranks ahead of a sensitive political period.