Israeli Security Cabinet convening in underground bunker - media

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks ahead of a joint meeting with Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, May 17, 2018. Gali Tibbon/Pool via Reuters

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Security Cabinet, a forum of senior ministers headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has begun holding its weekly meetings in a secure underground bunker in Jerusalem,Israeli media said on Tuesday.

 

The facility, known as the "National Management Centre", was first used by the Security Cabinet in 2011 to rehearse a national crisis scenario. It was carved out beneath the government complex in Jerusalem and includes living quarters as well as command facilities.

Reports of the move come amid a rise in tensions with Iran.

 

Israel this month accused Iran of firing rockets from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israelstruck back with its heaviest air strikes in Syria since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

 

Meetings of the Council, hitherto mostly at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, are already generally held out of the public eye.

 

"Cabinet ministers have told us that one of the main reasons for the move is Netanyahu's wish to try even harder to prevent leaks and because of fears of spying attempts by hostile foreign parties," Israel's Channel 10 said.

 

The group of 11 ministers has already held a small number of meetings at the facility, and three planned weekly sessions, the next of which is scheduled for Wednesday, will be held in the bunker, a media source said.

 

Israeli officials declined to comment on the reports.

 

(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-23

Nothing good will come from this.

Trump made Jerusalem even more dangerous.  But, the dotard and his bleating sheep still think he deserves a Nobel peace prize. 

7 minutes ago, quandow said:

Nothing good will come from this.

As opposed to the other  national leaders who hold their meetings in secure locations? Israel has a security weakness in respect to space: It doesn't have much of it, so it is very easy to eavesdrop on meetings and to pick up  communications.  Also, the multiple political factions  leak information. Lapses and breaches can have dire consequences. Keep in mind that Israel in a significant part, is only 15 km wide. They can't afford to take chances on security.

29 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

Trump made Jerusalem even more dangerous.  But, the dotard and his bleating sheep still think he deserves a Nobel peace prize. 

If your choice of a guest at your house fills me with a homicidal rage are you at fault?

1 hour ago, zaphod reborn said:

Trump made Jerusalem even more dangerous.  But, the dotard and his bleating sheep still think he deserves a Nobel peace prize. 

   What ? ! ? ! ?  

   1.   Jerusalem has been the capitol of modern Israel since 1949.  Where have you been ?  

 

   2.   Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem finally puts the U.S. in compliance with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995.   It's about time. 

 

   3.  Former President Barack Obama (Democrat) had said in a 2008 campaign speech, "Jerusalem will remain the capitol of Israel, and it must remain undivided." 

 

    4.  In past decades, Presidents Bill Clinton (D),  George W. Bush (R), Barack Obama (D) have all called for the Embassy to be moved and for Jerusalem to be officially recognized as the Capitol of Israel.  (Countries DO have the right to determine which city is their capitol.. even if leftists/socialists and Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran have a hard time grasping that fact.) 

 

5.  Finally... another President who said he was going to move the embassy to Jerusalem and campaigned on that...  kept his word and did what he said he would do.   Jerusalem is Israel's capitol city... Trump is simply acknowledging reality..    Excellent move....   get over it. 

        "Shocking"  ! !   55555  ? 

46 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Nothing anti semetic about the comment, it is anti-Israel or anti its leaders.

 

This card is played too easy and too often.

 

Of course it isn't. Then again, it is obviously inflammatory, as well as daft - doubt the Palestinians won't be effected even if it was a possibility.

1 hour ago, Catoni said:

         How could you make such a murderous hate filled anti-semitic comment ?  

 I'm shocked the moderators here allowed it to stay on and didn't remove it.   

   But I'd like to see Iran try...    Do you know what Israel has ? ? 

  Let your crazy mullah friends in Tehran try it.  Israel would turn Tehran into a glowing lake of black glass...  Hope you're there when it happens. 

Your comment is not exactly much better than the one you reacted to ...

 

> " my nuclear bomb is bigger than yours ..." <   Oh dear , where are we going to ...?

An inflammatory post and some replies to it have been removed

40 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Your comment is not exactly much better than the one you reacted to ...

 

> " my nuclear bomb is bigger than yours ..." <   Oh dear , where are we going to ...?

    The one I reacted to made the first move... sort of like reacting when somebody throws the first punch don't you think? 

     That's right...  throw a comment at me... but not at the hate filled anti-semite Israel hater that started it... typical of certain people.  

      Nice of you....  shows where your feelings lie...

 

  Bye the way....where exactly did I say   " my nuclear bomb is bigger than yours ..." <   Oh dear , where are we going to ...?    ? ? ? 

                          Israel would have every right in the world to wipe Tehran off the map if Tehran fired a nuke at Israel as the original poster suggested.   Would you suggest they sit back and take it and do nothing ? ?

     Your poor comment suggests so...