The impression one gets is that anyone who thinks differently from Netanyahu, and not just on security issues, is immediately suspected of sabotaging him, and in the prime minister’s view, all means of acting against such people are legitimate. After all, Netanyahu also frequently and irresponsibly throws out hints of “coups” and accusations that he’s being undermined by the police, the police commissioner and the judicial system.

Yoram Cohen says he never got ‚specific‘ instructions from Netanyahu to listen in on Tamir Pardo and Benny Gantz, though the explosive report mentioned a general request to tap a series of confidants

The Prime Minister‘s Office told Uvda: “The claim that the prime minister asked the head of the Shin Bet to listen in on the chief of staff and the head of the Mossad is completely unfounded. This is a total distortion of systemic efforts that are made from time to time to maintain information security regarding sensitive matters of paramound importance to Israel‘s security. The decision of what means to use and against who is in the hands of the authorized officials.”

(31.5.2018) “I do not want to believe that in Israel, which is a democratic state, the prime minister is asking the Shin Bet to tap the chief of staff or me,” Pardo said in an interview. He added: „Wiretapping is the greatest possible [sign of] lack of trust. I never asked to wiretap any of my employees in the Mossad. Never. It never even crossed my mind. In my view, that‘s outside the rules of the game.”