Yisrael Katz
Yisrael KatzYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) on Friday responded to the surprising comments made by former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy, during a speech at a college in London.

During his speech, Halevy spoke about his role as Mossad head and said, "I studied law - which helped me to learn how to breach the law when I needed to do so."

"Did I break the law when I did what I did? Yes. I won't tell you how many times I broke (the law) because I don't want to spend the rest of my life in jail," said Halevy.

In response to Halevy, Katz said on Friday, "what was that good for? We don't have enough investigations and limitations on our actions in the world?"

"As Minister for Intelligence Affairs I am surprised every now and then by the unbelievable gap among some of the 'former ones' (i.e. ex-Mossad heads - ed.), between the knowledge they gathered in the framework of their roles and the responsibility or irresponsibility that they show after they finish their roles," he said.

"On this our sages said: 'silence is a fence around wisdom,'" concluded the minister, calling on the former Mossad heads who have come out with criticism of the state in recent years to keep quiet.