Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly avoiding keeping the opposition leader in the loop. Against the backdrop of the emerging agreement between the United States and Iran and claims by Israeli officials that it could cause significant harm, Opposition Chairman Yair Lapid asked Netanyahu to hold a security briefing with him, as required by law. However, the Prime Minister's Office has yet to set a date for a meeting between the two.
Under a law enacted in 2000, the prime minister must provide the opposition leader with a briefing at least once a month. The last briefing Netanyahu gave Lapid took place on April 15. That means two months have already passed since the two last met for a security update.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly avoiding providing a security update to Opposition Leader Yair Lapid
(Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)
Lapid's aides have contacted the Prime Minister's Office several times in recent weeks in an effort to coordinate the legally required briefing, but none of the requests received a response. As opposition leader and a former prime minister, Lapid has access to classified raw intelligence material known as the "black material."
The meetings serve as a platform for the opposition leader to receive answers on major issues. However, Netanyahu's office has at times been accused of creating obstacles to holding the consultations. The prime minister's military secretary is usually present at the meetings, which deal exclusively with sensitive security matters that are on the national agenda.