Netanyahu, Gantz Assail Economy Minister for Saying “Israeli” Army Tactics Endangering Soldiers

By Staff, Agencies

The Zionist entity’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu berated his Economy Minister Nir Barkat for complaining that not enough was being done to protect soldiers’ lives in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Barkat’s accusations, made in public comments and subsequently at the weekly cabinet meeting, drew fire from other ministers as well, including war cabinet member Benny Gantz who called on ministers to not make “baseless declarations.”

Barkat, seen as a potential future rival to Netanyahu as leader of the “Likud” party, told ministers, “The number of air force bombardments has fallen dramatically. Soldiers are being sent to booby-trapped buildings like [sitting] ducks.”

The result, he said, were tactics that are “unnecessarily endangering soldiers.”

Netanyahu responded, “The fact that you keep saying this doesn’t make it true. There are operational considerations.”

“No consideration can justify endangering the lives of our soldiers for some imaginary morality,” Barkat insisted. “In practice, we protect terrorists and endanger the lives of [Israeli] fighters and the result is dead soldiers. This is a reckless handling of the war.”

“Leadership is tested by the ability to withstand pressure and, unfortunately, this cabinet does not withstand pressure,” Barkat declared.

Netanyahu, justifying his policies, said, “There are countries [whose positions] we have to consider. If we don’t do that, eventually there’ll be a UN decision to impose a blockade on us. The whole world will be against us.”

Earlier, as he arrived for the cabinet meeting, Barkat told the media, “Surrendering to any external pressure, even if it is from our best friends, is a grave mistake,” apparently referring to US concerns over mounting civilian casualties among the Gaza population.

“It is unacceptable that we would endanger our soldiers, and send them exposed into buildings that haven’t been bombed,” he said. “We are too nice, and we are too considerate. And the bottom line is that our soldiers, the fighters, take disproportionate risks and we pay a heavy price.”

Gantz was not at the meeting but later, in a tweet perceived as a rebuke of Barkat, said that the Zionist army’s soldiers are “receiving all the necessary tools,” and that ground forces are getting “widespread and accurate aerial cover with unprecedented power.”

“Especially at this time, it is expected from government ministers and all public leaders to be responsible in their remarks and not issue baseless declarations that harm the resilience of all of ‘Israel’ society, and the families of combat soldiers in particular,” he said.

Responding to Gantz, Barkat tweeted that the war cabinet minister is “still a prisoner to the misconception” of risking soldiers’ lives over the safety of Gaza’s civilians.

“I would expect him to learn some modesty and listen to factual criticism and understand that the lives of our fighters are more important than the lives of the Gazans,” he wrote.