Aliyah and Integration Minister and Cabinet member Yoav Galant (Likud) on Friday criticized Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, citing his failure to properly deal with the continued rocket and incendiary balloon fire from Gaza towards southern Israel.
"Over the past two weeks, Hamas has been launching dozens of explosive devices using balloons at Israel - this is a terrorist act and a dangerous escalation," Galant wrote in his Twitter account.
"It turns out that he who disseminated arrogant and worthless remarks in the past based on lack of understanding and inexperience, suffers from difficulties in understanding the situation and providing an appropriate response. The Cabinet allows the Defense Minister to act differently, the situation can and should be changed, I know that,” he added.
Later on Friday, MK Matan Kahana of Bennett’s Yamina party responded to Galant’s criticism.
"I would recommend that Minister Galant, who in the past announced that he supports the evacuation of communities and the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state in the center of the country, resume his engagement on matters related to Immigration and absorption, in which he has rich experience," Kahana said.
This is not the first time that Galant, who in the past served as the chief of the IDF’s Southern Command, has spoken out against Bennett.
Before Bennett was appointed as Defense Minister, Galant warned that doing so would be "a serious security mistake."
Galant later voted against Bennett’s appointment at a Cabinet meeting.
"Israel is in a complex and sensitive period of security. This appointment does not serve the security of the state and therefore I will vote against it," Galant explained his decision.
"I will continue to do my best to help the prime minister and the security system to keep Israel safe," he added.
Explosive balloons have been flown into Israel by Gazan terrorists since the summer of 2018, but there has been an uptick in these attacks over the past several weeks.
On Friday, there were at least six incidents of balloons with explosives being fired into Israel, including one incident in which the warhead of an RPG anti-tank missile was attached to the balloons.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)
