Defense officials on Saturday accused MK Shaul Mofaz of abusing his position as chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for political gain. "Shaul Mofaz is endangering Israel's security by using the committee he heads for political purposes," senior officials in the Defense Ministry said over the weekend. The comments came after Mofaz's decision last week to freeze a NIS 620 million ($175 million) transfer to the ministry. The Defense Ministry, which says it is in dire need of the money to pay debts, refrained from commenting last week, but that attitude changed on Saturday. "Mofaz is taking advantage of the current wave of protests to make himself out to be a crusader for the public, while dealing a major blow to the nation's security," said one official. Following the blocking of the funds, the Prime Minister's Office did not consider dismissing Mofaz. Opposition leader Tzipi Livni's associates were trying to promote his ouster, but were opposed by the Likud: "Mofaz will complete his tenure in May in any case, at which point the committee will be headed by a Likud MK," a member of the Knesset's ruling coalition said. "The Defense Ministry's budget is large, significantly larger than other government ministries. It receives approval based on the national budget, on its demands, and following Knesset deliberation, as required by law," Mofaz's office said in a statement. "The Defense Ministry's lack of budgetary discipline as well as its treatment of the Knesset and its committees as rubber stamps is not acceptable to the committee's chairman. NIS 620 million is one and a half times the entire national budget for medicines. It's not a petty cash box to be handed over without proper oversight by both the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee as well as the Finance Committee." "To the Defense Minister's chagrin, the committee operates democratically," said a Mofaz associate. "Defense Ministry officials would be wise not to lecture Mofaz, a law-abiding former chief of general staff and defense minister, on morality."
Mofaz endangering Israel's security, defense officials say
Security officials attack head of Foreign Affairs Defense Committee for rejecting Defense Ministry request for NIS 620 million, say Mofaz is riding the current wave of protests • Mofaz: Defense Minstry treats the Knesset as a rubber stamp.
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