Steinitz, Amidror, Nasrallah and Morsi
Amir Rapaport's weekly column on the conflict in the Israeli Prime
Minister's Bureau, on Syria and Hezbollah, and Egypt, to which all eyes
should be directed this weekend
Amir Rapaport 28/6/2013
http://www.israeldefense.com/?CategoryID=483&ArticleID=2220
Israeli Minister Steinitz Photo: Meir Azulay Israeli Minister Steinitz
Photo: Meir Azulay
There is a core of truth to every one of the reasons
mentioned this week regarding the circumstances of the retirement of Maj.
Gen. Ya'akov Amidror from the role of Head of the Israeli National Security
Bureau. However, the real story has not yet been told in full: a monumental
fight is transpiring within the Prime Minister's Bureau concerning the
treatment of very sensitive strategic matters.
Amidror fell in this professional and instinctive battle.
Surprisingly, the media entity that came closest in describing the story so
far was the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida. According to a report in Kuwait
from two days ago, Sarah Netanyahu ruled in favor of Yuval Steinitz, Israeli
Minister of Strategic Affairs and Intelligence, in a conflict with Amidror,
and thus pushed him out.
The part of the story linked to Sarah Netanyahu is nonsensical (she was not
involved in this issue), but Amidror and Steinitz did in fact have a very
harsh confrontation.
It began shortly after the establishment of the new Israeli government, and
reached its peak in recent weeks. On one side is Steinitz, who demanded that
the ministry authorities he received (the role of intelligence affairs
minister, previously held by Dan Meridor) and the role of Minister of
Strategic Affairs (previously held by Moshe Ya'alon prior to his appointment
as defense minister) be expanded.
The problem with these two roles is that their authorities are not set in
law. Thus far, Steinitz did not even succeed in getting into the
Political-Security Cabinet, even though Netanyahu promised him a prestigious
spot within three months. This did not prevent the ambitious minister from
waging a war against the National Security Bureau, whose authorities were
set in law just three years ago.
The argument is both professional and personal: Steinitz is claiming
authorities for managing the Israeli effort to unite the world in the
struggle against Iran, as well as responsibility for the intelligence
organizations, headed by the Shabak and the Mossad. This additionally
includes responsibility for the atomic energy committee and the strategic
dialogue with the US.
According to Steinitz, he is the political echelon, to which Amidror is
subordinate. Amidror tends to accept the military's stance, in light of his
military background. Amidror claimed that Steinitz is sabotaging the work of
the National Security Bureau, which is meant to be an element that views
Israel's wider strategic picture, and present its recommendations directly
to the prime minister and the Political-Security Cabinet.
It was merely a (short) matter of time until the professional argument got
into a personal one. In the past few weeks, Netanyahu was forced to listen
to both Steinitz and Amidror, both seeking his support for their positions.
Amidror believed that he was not receiving the support he expected. The
greater arguments in the recent period touched on the most sensitive issues.
Elements from the Mossad and the Shabak were dragged into the war being
waged within the Prime Minister's Bureau.
The bottom line: Ya'akov Amidror did not resign. He had enough. People
working closely to Amidror heard of his intention to resign from the
National Security Bureau after concluding two years in the role months ago.
In the meanwhile, he has held the job for two years and two months. He will
apparently continue in the role until November.
In any case, the National Security Bureau took a few steps back, as Steinitz
acquired authorities that his predecessor's lacked. At the same time,
Steinitz's office received some sort of content. The fate of the National
Security Bureau now depends on the identity of Amidror's replacement.
An irony of fate: in the past few days, Dan Meridor's name has been
mentioned as a possible replacement for Amidror. It is not clear if Meridor
himself is a partner to the idea of appointing him (other names have been
mentioned as well). However, it could be interesting to see him go up
against Steinitz in confrontations, should he return to the Prime Minister's
Bureau as a "civil servant."
Hezbollah and Syria
The assertive statements made this week by senior Israeli defense
establishment officials and by Prime Minister Netanyahu himself (during a
visit to a Golani exercise in the north and during Thursday's flight course
graduation ceremony) are part of Israeli psychological warfare directed
against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah.
Nasrallah reaped a public opinion fortune from the victory against the
Syrian rebels in the battle of Qusair. Israel has considerable interest in
bringing the Lebanese propaganda machine back to its true dimensions and in
clarifying that it is a pyrrhic victory. This is why IDF Chief of Staff
Benny Gantz stated that "Nasrallah's robe is on fire." Who is right in the
information warfare, or rather, who is closest to the truth? This time, it
is Israel.
Meanwhile in Egypt
All eyes should be directed towards Egypt over the course of this weekend.
The riots transpiring there as a year is marked for the Muslim Brotherhood's
rise to power are more than dramatic.
Whatever the results of the protests may be, the disquiet already proves
that Muhammad Morsi is not succeeding in establishing his rule, and that the
Muslim Brotherhood is not meeting the expectations the Egyptian population
had hoped for, primarily with regards to the financial field.
--------------------------------------------
mentioned this week regarding the circumstances of the retirement of Maj.
Gen. Ya'akov Amidror from the role of Head of the Israeli National Security
Bureau. However, the real story has not yet been told in full: a monumental
fight is transpiring within the Prime Minister's Bureau concerning the
treatment of very sensitive strategic matters.
Amidror fell in this professional and instinctive battle.
Surprisingly, the media entity that came closest in describing the story so
far was the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Jarida. According to a report in Kuwait
from two days ago, Sarah Netanyahu ruled in favor of Yuval Steinitz, Israeli
Minister of Strategic Affairs and Intelligence, in a conflict with Amidror,
and thus pushed him out.
The part of the story linked to Sarah Netanyahu is nonsensical (she was not
involved in this issue), but Amidror and Steinitz did in fact have a very
harsh confrontation.
It began shortly after the establishment of the new Israeli government, and
reached its peak in recent weeks. On one side is Steinitz, who demanded that
the ministry authorities he received (the role of intelligence affairs
minister, previously held by Dan Meridor) and the role of Minister of
Strategic Affairs (previously held by Moshe Ya'alon prior to his appointment
as defense minister) be expanded.
The problem with these two roles is that their authorities are not set in
law. Thus far, Steinitz did not even succeed in getting into the
Political-Security Cabinet, even though Netanyahu promised him a prestigious
spot within three months. This did not prevent the ambitious minister from
waging a war against the National Security Bureau, whose authorities were
set in law just three years ago.
The argument is both professional and personal: Steinitz is claiming
authorities for managing the Israeli effort to unite the world in the
struggle against Iran, as well as responsibility for the intelligence
organizations, headed by the Shabak and the Mossad. This additionally
includes responsibility for the atomic energy committee and the strategic
dialogue with the US.
According to Steinitz, he is the political echelon, to which Amidror is
subordinate. Amidror tends to accept the military's stance, in light of his
military background. Amidror claimed that Steinitz is sabotaging the work of
the National Security Bureau, which is meant to be an element that views
Israel's wider strategic picture, and present its recommendations directly
to the prime minister and the Political-Security Cabinet.
It was merely a (short) matter of time until the professional argument got
into a personal one. In the past few weeks, Netanyahu was forced to listen
to both Steinitz and Amidror, both seeking his support for their positions.
Amidror believed that he was not receiving the support he expected. The
greater arguments in the recent period touched on the most sensitive issues.
Elements from the Mossad and the Shabak were dragged into the war being
waged within the Prime Minister's Bureau.
The bottom line: Ya'akov Amidror did not resign. He had enough. People
working closely to Amidror heard of his intention to resign from the
National Security Bureau after concluding two years in the role months ago.
In the meanwhile, he has held the job for two years and two months. He will
apparently continue in the role until November.
In any case, the National Security Bureau took a few steps back, as Steinitz
acquired authorities that his predecessor's lacked. At the same time,
Steinitz's office received some sort of content. The fate of the National
Security Bureau now depends on the identity of Amidror's replacement.
An irony of fate: in the past few days, Dan Meridor's name has been
mentioned as a possible replacement for Amidror. It is not clear if Meridor
himself is a partner to the idea of appointing him (other names have been
mentioned as well). However, it could be interesting to see him go up
against Steinitz in confrontations, should he return to the Prime Minister's
Bureau as a "civil servant."
Hezbollah and Syria
The assertive statements made this week by senior Israeli defense
establishment officials and by Prime Minister Netanyahu himself (during a
visit to a Golani exercise in the north and during Thursday's flight course
graduation ceremony) are part of Israeli psychological warfare directed
against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah.
Nasrallah reaped a public opinion fortune from the victory against the
Syrian rebels in the battle of Qusair. Israel has considerable interest in
bringing the Lebanese propaganda machine back to its true dimensions and in
clarifying that it is a pyrrhic victory. This is why IDF Chief of Staff
Benny Gantz stated that "Nasrallah's robe is on fire." Who is right in the
information warfare, or rather, who is closest to the truth? This time, it
is Israel.
Meanwhile in Egypt
All eyes should be directed towards Egypt over the course of this weekend.
The riots transpiring there as a year is marked for the Muslim Brotherhood's
rise to power are more than dramatic.
Whatever the results of the protests may be, the disquiet already proves
that Muhammad Morsi is not succeeding in establishing his rule, and that the
Muslim Brotherhood is not meeting the expectations the Egyptian population
had hoped for, primarily with regards to the financial field.
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