Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of Staff of the IDF and responsible for the formation of the new government, warned Benjamin Netanyahu in a letter on Wednesday November 20 (November 11) to avoid making unnecessary military and security decisions until the new cabinet is formed. He emphasized that using the security forces without an immediate threat could damage Israel's democratic structure and the public's trust in the government institutions.
Eisenkot, who published parts of his letter on the X social network, asked Netanyahu to exercise restraint during the transition of power and leave sensitive, non-urgent security decisions to the future government. He wrote to the Prime Minister of Israel: "Take care of yourself and avoid dangerous actions that can be postponed until a government is sworn in with the confidence of the Knesset."
Referring to the reports published in recent weeks, the former Chief of Staff of the IDF expressed his concern about the possibility of non-security considerations interfering with decisions concerning the security of the state. He defined the reports as "extremely disturbing", but did not specify which decisions or military operations he was referring to, and did not provide details about their content.
In his letter, the agent for the formation of the new Israeli government mentioned that Netanyahu, despite the administration of the interim government, is still responsible for securing Israel's security and overseeing the functioning of the army and security organizations. According to him, using the security forces in situations where there is no direct and immediate threat may weaken citizens' trust in government institutions and the security decision-making process.
He also asked Netanyahu to refrain from issuing orders that could cause the military commanders and the heads of the security organizations to face legal disputes. Eisenkot warned that such a situation could lead to a crisis in the legal system and the constitution in Israel and make it difficult for the security forces to recognize the limits of their powers and responsibilities.
Eisenkot also asked the government's legal counsel to provide him with information assessments related to the concerns raised.