Defense Minister Benny Gantz reacted with fury to the accusation by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that as Chief of Staff he endangered IDF soldiers during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
"This liar Bibi is incapable of saying a single true thing, so I tell you it is not true and Bibi is endangering the State of Israel. This is how he will give in to haters like Ben-Gvir and Smotritz who together did not serve two years, and who pretend to have greater understanding than the tens and hundreds of years of experience people others [who served] have," Gantz said angrily.
"When the Border Police officers and the IDF soldiers entered the Kasbah, did the IDF take any risks? What is he even talking about? He does not know? Wasn't he in the rooms? He doesn't know these dilemmas? He appeals to the lowest emotion of people who do not understand anything. Is this how a national leader behaves? It's a shame and disgrace.
"I really hope that the public in Israel will understand that they are dealing with a liar who spins the whole story for his personal benefit and who will appoint the most extreme people to the most extreme positions to save himself from a trial. Nothing interests him, not the State of Israel, not its direction, only himself. He did He has come a very long way since he was a Zionist and a responsible statesman," Gantz said.