Security cabinet approves delegation for hostage negotiations in Qatar

The security cabinet agreed on Sunday night to send a high-level delegation to continue hostage negotiations in Qatar, giving the delegation a general mandate to conduct the talks, Israeli media reported.

The general mandate given to the delegation is limited to some matters on which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will be the deciding voices.

At the security cabinet meeting, verbal blows were exchanged between several members of the government.

During a discussion regarding the military leadership appointments, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told the government's legal advisor, "I didn't want to intervene because commanders are being appointed who have already fallen in battle, but I must ask the legal advisor here, tell me, why is there a different law for the police commissioner?"

The legal advisor responded, "This is not the place for this. I will explain it to you in person."

Ben-Gvir responded, "It is here. Let's open it. Why are you interfering with the commissioner and the Chief of Staff and not the head of the Shin Bet? Because he's Shabtai? Because he wasn't in the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit? Because he didn't come from the right place?"

After this exchange, Minister Yifat Shasha Biton told Ben-Gvir to stop attacking the Chief of Staff and the head of the Shin Bet. Ben-Gvir then responded, "I am allowed to ask questions! Soon it will be leaked that I was insulting the Chief of Staff. The days are over when it is not permitted to ask questions and speak here. You will not silence me."

Bezalel Smotrich claims lack of training in the system

In the same discussion, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that "many today lack training in the system following the failure that led to October 7," referring to the security failure of October 7. 

Minister Hili Tropper rebuked him and said, "And if I say that for most of the public, you have no training? We can't rely on people when they conduct a war and not rely on them regarding appointments."

"There is a problem when people are appointed during the war while, at the same time, there is an internal investigation in the IDF," Smotrich replied. "People may be afraid to speak during the investigation for fear of not receiving appointments from those who appoint and also investigate."

On Sunday, Smotrich visited the Chief of Staff and wrote, "Mr. Chief of Staff, you have full backing for victory. Not for taking over making appointments. The new generation of commanders, who were not involved in the failure, will lead the recovery and rectification."

War cabinet minister Benny Gantz told Smotrich,  "It's worth addressing the complete reality and not the partial one - how the IDF, which failed on October 7, recovered from the most challenging place, operates admirably, and brings achievements that we are proud of. You are undermining Israel's security and poking at the security system for purely political reasons - I won't let anyone turn the IDF into someone else's puppet service."

On Monday, Smotrich commented on Gantz's statement on X, formerly Twitter, "What harms Israel is the rejection of any criticism and unwillingness to have a substantive discussion on issues critical to Israel's security. Silencing real discussion and maintaining a chorus of only one voice that only criticizes the whole time is the most October 6 there is. This is exactly how dangerous ideas proliferate."

This cabinet meeting had been delayed from early Friday when it was cut short because it was scheduled too close to the beginning of Shabbat.