The head of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, Moshe Arens, intends to consider using the Israeli intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, as a means of circumventing potential leaks to the media on top-secret issues pertaining to the committee.
Calling the leaks a disease which taints the entire Israeli political system, Arens told the Knesset plenum yesterday that it must be halted immediately. Arens was replying to a motion for the agenda by Mr. Amos Hodat, who urged the utilization of the security services in order to discover the identity of those responsible for the leaks.
Arens pointed to the recent refusal by the Army Chief of Staff and certain Cabinet members to reveal information to the committee, adding that this in turn prevented optimum decision-making on issues of security and defense.
As a result, four subcommittees have been established in order to conduct free discussion in the smallest forum possible. Noting that only four or five committee members were responsible for the leaks, he said that all appeals to them by him, the Premier, the Defense Minister and Foreign Minister had been in vain.
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