Netanyahu Threatens to Fire Bennett After Procedural Argument in Security Cabinet

The Jerusalem Post reports: The relationship between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Naftali Bennett erupted at Wednesday’s security cabinet meeting, with the premier reportedly threatening to fire Bennett over the Bayit Yehudi leader’s objection to the meeting’s agenda.

When the meeting began with a discussion over the IDF’s multi-year budget, Bennett demanded that it first deal with an issue he has been focusing on for weeks: discussions being held between the IDF and the heads of the Palestinian security apparatus, and the Palestinian request that the IDF refrain from entering Area A of the West Bank, which is under the Palestinian Authority’s control.

The IDF agrees in principle to refrain as much as possible from entering Area A, but is not willing to provide a blanket commitment. Rather, its guiding principle, at Netanyahu’s directive, is that wherever the Palestinian security forces act more, the IDF will need to act less.