Approval for Saudi nuclear? Lieberman in an unusual letter to the State Comptroller

The referral to the State Comptroller, with copies to the Attorney General and the Cabinet Secretary, follows what Lieberman describes as "the lack of authority of the Prime Minister to commit the State of Israel to the Saudi nuclear issue" without any comprehensive discussion in the cabinet.

"Netanyahu has no authority"

Lieberman, who previously served as Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs, specifies in his letter several issues that, in his opinion, demonstrate the anticipated problems with Netanyahu's decision.

"It is self-evident that Saudi Arabia, which possesses one of the largest oil reserves in the world, does not require any nuclear capability for peaceful purposes (a nuclear power plant for electricity production). Such a program has far-reaching implications for the security of Israel and the entire region, which could manifest, for example, in a highly dangerous regional nuclear arms race for us."

Lieberman emphasizes that from the information he is aware of, Netanyahu refuses to conduct a comprehensive in-depth discussion with the relevant security officials on this matter. This is a decision that must only be made in the forum of the Security Cabinet, and it requires their approval. "Such a dramatic decision also necessitates serious staff work by a number of bodies, and it is not clear that any such staff work has been done. It is clear from these remarks that Prime Minister Netanyahu has no authority to approve any nuclear program on behalf of the State of Israel."