Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will host a special Torah learning event Thursday night, Leil Hoshana Rabbah, in the Knesset sukkah, together with senior members of Israel’s security establishment.

The event, being held under the theme of “Gevurah,” will be attended by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Mossad chief Roman Gofman, Shin Bet chief David Zini, National Security Council head Shmuel Ben Ezra, Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, and Israel Atomic Energy Commission chief Moshe Edri.

Participants will also include members of the Tavor pre-military academy, wives of IDF reservists and wounded IDF soldiers.

The Torah learning will be dedicated l’ilui nishmas those who fell in Israel’s wars and victims of terror attacks, as a zechus for the refuah of the wounded, and for achdus among Klal Yisrael.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid was also invited, but said he would not attend because the invitation arrived only hours before the event.

Lapid said Ohana sent him a WhatsApp message at 1:42 p.m. inviting him to the gathering scheduled for Thursday evening.

Lapid suggested two possible explanations: either organizers had only just realized that Thursday night was Hoshana Rabbah, or the invitation was deliberately sent late so he would be unable to attend and could subsequently be portrayed as having refused to participate in Torah learning.

He concluded his response with a pasuk from Tehillim: “Hashem, save my soul from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.”

Ohana rejected Lapid’s accusation, saying the decision to hold the event itself was only made Thursday.

“From the moment the Prime Minister’s approval was received, I immediately contacted you,” Ohana wrote.

Ohana said the other invitees, as well as Knesset and staff personnel, were also notified during the day and rearranged their schedules accordingly. He thanked Knesset employees who organized the event during Chol Hamoed.

“Despite the jabs and attribution of malicious intent that did not exist — I wish you and your family a happy holiday and Moadim L’Simcha,” Ohana wrote.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)