On Nov. 1, the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Chief of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi appeared before the government to give the Cabinet a security briefing. This part of the Cabinet meeting was therefore classified as “top secret.” Halevi spoke about the situation within the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestinian perspective on the reasons for the outbreak of this current wave of violence.

He told the Cabinet that there were three compounded reasons as to why these riots erupted: tensions on the Temple Mount; the arsen attack in the Palestinian village of Douma, in which the Dawabsheh family was murdered on July 31; and an overall sense of hopelessness and frustration among the younger generation of Palestinians.

At that point, a minor clash erupted between the chief of Military Intelligence and Minister Zeev Elkin. Elkin, who is minister of immigration and absorption, of Jerusalem Affairs and of heritage, asked Halevi why he didn't include in the presented assessment strong Palestinian incitement, which, he claimed, can still be found in the Palestinian official media and in the educational system. Elkin said that what Halevi told the Cabinet is the Palestinian narrative, and that it seemed as if Halevi was a spokesman for the PA and not the Israeli government. Halevi responded to Elkin by saying that his role as chief of Military Intelligence in the IDF is to brief the political leadership about what is happening on the other side and what the enemy is thinking. Elkin was not convinced.

The IDF’s chief of Military Intelligence is also considered as the “national appraiser” of Israel’s intelligence community. He is at the top of the pyramid that includes the Mossad, the Shin Bet and other intelligence gathering organizations. The annual Intelligence Assessment submitted by Military Intelligence is, effectively, Israel’s official intelligence assessment.