Security officials urge PM to cancel speech

With the prime minister on his way to Washington, a group of veteran security officials urge Netanyahu to call off the address.

In a press conference, members of the “Commanders for Israel’s Security” group say Netanyahu’s “security-political policies destroyed the alliance with the US, and destroyed Israeli deterrence, and bring Iran closer to the nuclear bomb, rather than distancing it.”

Iran is gloating about Netanyahu’s speech, the organization says in a statement, because it shows that “Israel is weakened politically, and Israel no longer enjoys unconditional support from its strategic ally.”

Among the detractors is Netanyahu’s former commander in the IDF.

“I admit that on a personal level, it’s hard for me to come out against Bibi [Netanyahu],” Gen. (res.) Amiram Levin says. “I was his commander, I drafted him into the Sayeret Matkal [elite commando unit, directly administered by the IDF chief of staff], I taught him how to navigate, and I tell him now — Bibi you are navigating incorrectly. The goal is Tehran, not Washington.”