Former Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak (pictured) says in recently leaked recordings that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman were blocked from taking military action against Iranian nuclear facilities in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Credit: Barak Weizmann. Photo: Barak Weizmann/Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org –  The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday criticized what it called the “irresponsible chatter” about the Jewish state’s strategic policies on Iran, following the leaking of recordings of former Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak commenting on “missed opportunities” to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“It is time to stop this irresponsible chatter on matters of national security,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu continues to ensure the safety and security of the Israeli public in a determined and responsible manner.”

Netanyahu “does not bury his head in the sand, he points to threats as they appear, and he is decisive and resolute when dealing with them, as evident from the recent operation in Syria, as well as from dozens of other decisions and operations the public is unaware of, which is for the best,” the statement added.

On Friday, recordings aired by Israel’s Channel 2 featured Barak revealing that Netanyahu and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman had wanted to conduct military operations against Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2010, 2011, and 2012, but were blocked each time.

“Bibi is weak. He doesn’t want to make tough decisions unless someone forces his hand,” Barak says in one recording. He says in another, “Bibi is enveloped in deep pessimism… in the balance between anxiety and hope, he usually prefers to be more anxious, or as he calls it ‘concerned.’”