Report: Netanyahu, Gantz to form mini-security cabinet to discuss extra-sensitive issues

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz have agreed to form a miniature security cabinet that will be tasked with addressing sensitive security issues such as West Bank annexation and the Iran nuclear program, Channel 13 reports, citing four unnamed ministers and senior officials.

The decision was made earlier this week after the two party chairmen recognized that the current security-cabinet with 16 ministers and four observers was far too big to effectively debate issues of critical importance.

The miniature security-cabinet, jokingly referred to as a “mibtachon,” or kitchenette in Hebrew, will likely consist of eight senior ministers, with the Likud-Shas-UTJ-Gesher bloc receiveing representation equal to the Blue and White-Derech-Eretz-Labor bloc. However, Channel 13 says that an even smaller body of Netanyahu, Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi will be formed to discuss the annexation file.

Whatever decisions made by the reduced security-cabinets will still need approval of the full 16-member body, but the creation of the new forums will likely lead to the full security cabinet meeting less frequently and members being expected to fall in line with the decisions of senior lawmakers.