Aryeh Deri
Aryeh DeriYonatan Sindel, Flash 90

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) on Friday told FM103 that he requested to leave the Cabinet after an argument between Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot was leaked.

"On Monday, after the leak, I told the Prime Minister's military secretary and members of the National Security Council that I want to quit the Cabinet. I told them that I am not willing to be part of a cabinet which leaks [information] so irresponsibly," Deri said.

He added, "In my opinion, the one who leaked the conversation between Chief of Staff Eizenkot and Minister Bennett did it in order to harm Bennett."

In the argument between Bennett and Eizenkot, Bennett was quoted as asking, "Why not shoot anyone who fires an aerial weapon at our towns and against the terror cells? Why shoot next to them and not at them? There is nothing legally preventing this- were are talking about terrorists in every way."

When Eizenkot replied that he did not think shooting "boys and children" was appropriate, Bennett inquired about protocol when the terrorists are adults. In this case as well, Eizenkot said it goes against his "operational and moral position."

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu later slammed the leak, pointing out that, "You can't manage a cabinet with tweets and leaks." Bennett, for his part, demanded Cabinet members undergo a polygraph test.