Former IDF Spokesperson Avi Benayahu criticized Israeli military leaders for allowing Iran to develop its nuclear program, comparing past leaders and their capabilities in facing nuclear threats, in a post on X/Twitter on Thursday.
In his tweet, Benayahu wrote, “60 seconds on nuclear reactors and Israeli prime ministers. Menachem Begin quietly destroyed a nuclear reactor in Iraq. Ehud Olmert quietly destroyed a nuclear reactor in Syria. Shimon Peres quietly built a nuclear reactor in Dimona. Netanyahu, for 23 years, loudly built a nuclear reactor in Iran. These were 60 seconds on nuclear reactors and Israeli prime ministers.”
60 שניות על כורים גרעיניים וראשי ממשלה ישראלים.מנחם בגין השמיד בשקט כור גרעיני בעירק. אהוד אולמרט השמיד בשקט כור גרעיני בסוריה. שמעון פרס בנה בשקט כור גרעיני בדימונה. נתניהו בנה ברעש במשך 23 שנה כור גרעיני באיראן. אלה היו 60 שניות על כורים גרעיניים וראשי ממשלה ישראלים.
— אבי בניהו (@AviBenayahu) April 17, 2025
Journalist Yossi Yehoshua responded to Benayahu, commenting, "Regarding the reactors in Iraq and Syria, you are of course correct. But do you remember who made noise in Israel and the US against an Israeli strike on Iran in 2010-2011?"
The room where it happened
Benayahu responded to Yehoshua in detail, saying, “Believe me,” he began, “unlike you, I was in the room at the time, and I couldn’t leak everything to you (by the way, a spokesperson briefs, not leaks). Ehud Barak wanted to attack. Very much. Netanyahu did not. He wanted to pressure the Americans and push them to expand sanctions," he said.
Benayahu added, "He kept saying that the head of Mossad, the head of Shin Bet, and the chief of staff didn’t support him. And that’s, of course, completely legitimate. It is the right of the prime minister to conduct public diplomacy on an international stage like the head of a drama department.”
Benayahu continued, “By the way, even if some thought it wasn’t the right time, the decision is his. Only his. One time, Netanyahu even ‘pushed’ the military, knowing it would reach the Americans and stop him, in exchange for securing the cancellation of the settlement freeze at that time. But if you want, Dagan, Diskin, and Ashkenazi are to blame for there being a nuclear program in Iran. They were content with just the destruction of the Syrian reactor.”
Likud MK Moshe Saada addressed the matter on 103FM radio on Thursday, stating, “It’s no secret that Israel wants to strike, and there’s a real existential threat. I think we should have taken advantage of the time between Biden and Trump’s administrations. It was clear that with Trump as president, the situation would have been different.”