Netanyahu sends adviser Ophir Falk to join hostage talk delegation, excludes security heads
Prime Minister Netanyahu sent advisor Ophir Falk and Mossad chief David Barnea to Qatar for hostage discussions. Falk's role is oversight, amid tensions over his inclusion in previous talks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his advisor and confidant, Ophir Falk, with Mossad chief David Barnea to the hostage and ceasefire discussions in Qatar on Friday.
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF Reserves Major General Nitzan Alon, responsible for the hostages affairs, did not join the delegation. Representatives of the IDF and Shin Bet were also not included in the delegation.
A senior Israeli official said that Falk has no role in the negotiations themselves and was sent by Netanyahu to previous rounds under the guise of a "Kosher supervisor," due to suspicions Netanyahu held against members of the negotiating team.
In one of the previous negotiation rounds in Cairo, members of the negotiating team refused to include Falk in the meetings.
Netanyahu decided to send the Mossad chief for a meeting with the Qatari prime minister in Doha during a meeting held with the Mossad chief and the head of the Shin Bet before Thursday's cabinet meeting. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Major General Nitzan Alon were not invited to the meeting.
Netanyahu's exclusion of security chiefs sparks controversy
Senior Israeli officials said Prime Minister Netanyahu convened the meeting on Thursday after preventing the Mossad chief and the Shin Bet head from attending a preparatory meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Netanyahu's decision to exclude the Mossad chief and the Shin Bet head from the meeting with Galant was first reported by Channel 12 News.
A senior Israeli official said that in a brief consultation after the cabinet meeting Defense Minister Gallant told Prime Minister Netanyahu that the prohibiting the participation of the Shin Bet head and the Mossad chief in the preparatory meeting had impaired the security system's ability to prepare for meetings with the prime minister, assess situations, and make decisions.
Netanyahu responded to Gallant emphasizing he is the Defense Minister and not the Prime Minister, therefore there is no reason to hold readiness discussions with the Mossad chief and Shin Bet head.
The Prime Minister's Office responded, stating: "Dr. Ophir Falk, the Prime Minister's diplomatic advisor, is part of the negotiating team and participates in all team meetings both domestically and internationally."
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