Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman sent a letter this morning (Tuesday) to the State Comptroller and the Legal Advisor to the Government, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be prevented from making a decision regarding Israeli approval for the advancement of a Saudi nuclear program.
Lieberman's letter comes in response to reports indicating that Israel did not hold discussions with the relevant security officials regarding the advancement of the Saudi nuclear program as part of a comprehensive agreement with the United States.
In recent months, Israeli citizens, including members of the government, have become aware that the Prime Minister tends to accept the Saudi nuclear plan, which is formally presented as a nuclear program for peace purposes. Unfortunately, last night, news was reported in the media that the Prime Minister flew to the United States with the knowledge that he will discuss the matter there with government officials, without any consultation with the security professionals and without any in-depth discussion of the issue in the security cabinet.
The referral to the State Comptroller, with copies to the Attorney General and the Cabinet Secretary, follows what Lieberman describes as "the lack of authority of the Prime Minister to commit the State of Israel to the Saudi nuclear issue" without any comprehensive discussion in the cabinet.
"Netanyahu has no authority"
Lieberman, who previously served as Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs, specifies in his letter several issues that, in his opinion, demonstrate the anticipated problems with Netanyahu's decision.
"It is self-evident that Saudi Arabia, which possesses one of the largest oil reserves in the world, does not require any nuclear capability for peaceful purposes (a nuclear power plant for electricity production). Such a program has far-reaching implications for the security of Israel and the entire region, which could manifest, for example, in a highly dangerous regional nuclear arms race for us."
Lieberman emphasizes that from the information he is aware of, Netanyahu refuses to conduct a comprehensive in-depth discussion with the relevant security officials on this matter. This is a decision that must only be made in the forum of the Security Cabinet, and it requires their approval. "Such a dramatic decision also necessitates serious staff work by a number of bodies, and it is not clear that any such staff work has been done. It is clear from these remarks that Prime Minister Netanyahu has no authority to approve any nuclear program on behalf of the State of Israel."