Israel’s longstanding policy of destroying the homes of terrorists raised quite a furor last week following the demolition of the home of Muntassar Shalabi, who murdered yeshivah student Yehuda Guetta, h’yd, 19, and injured two others in a drive-by terror shooting attack on May 2.
In addition to the US condemnation of the demolition, it also caused tension within Israel as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett failed to inform Foreign Minister Yair Lapid that the demolition was being carried out, with the latter only hearing about it after the fact, Channel 13 News reported.
Following the demolition, officials from Lapid’s office contacted the Prime Minister’s Office complaining that Lapid wasn’t notified as the Foreign Ministry could have tried to soften the US response. Bennett’s office replied that it’s not the job of the Prime Minister’s Office to notify the Foreign Ministry.
When Lapid’s office was asked for a response to the report, it attempted to place the blame on Netanyahu’s government. “Years of government neglect have led to the inadequate function of the communication and coordination systems between the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office. We are now improving everything.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
It is indeed not the PM’s office’s job to keep the foreign ministry up to date on the news. If the foreign ministry is interested in something they can ask.
From now on the demolition process should be carried out as an immediate reaction.
Never mind the ridiculous U.S. government position: let’s see, if the demolitions are carried out the same day, the U.S. admonishes Israel. They most certainly will condemn the demolition before they admonish the perpetrator.
Yah…Yah…It’s Netanyahu’s fault…It’s Arafat’s fault…It’s HAMAS’s fault…It’s the Chareidim’s fault…It’s EVERYBODY ELSES fault….BUT NOT YOUR FAULT….