In his capacity as acting chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, MK Avigdor Lieberman has changed a long-standing rule. The new chairman has decided that the appearance of the IDF chief of staff before the committee may no longer be reported on in the media. In the past, the commander’s appearance was a media item along with a screened report of the briefing given to committee members by the IDF’s highest ranking officer.

Lieberman feels the move is necessary to prevent leaking classified information to the media. He made the change on Tuesday 23 Adar 5773, warning committee members they are no longer permitted to tell anyone when the IDF chief appears before them and of course, it is forbidden to discuss anything mentioned by the commander during his participation in a committee session.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)