At first, the prime minister boarded Navy gunship Eilat, where he spoke with the crew. He was then to meet with a naval commando unit. To do so, he used a ladder to go from the gunship to a rubber boat. He was joined by the IDF chief of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, and the head of the Israel Navy, Eli Marom.
While climbing down the ladder, Netanyahu, who was wearing heavy body armor, almost lost his balance. A naval commando standing next to him caught him and held onto him so he did not fall into the water.
Navy sources said Tuesday that at no time was Netanyahu in any danger; the sea was calm and the move from the gunship to the rubber boat was a simple one.
After the incident began to make headlines, Netanyahu’s office quickly contacted the media to say the prime minister had “merely stumbled” and that he was in good health. His spokespeople denied that he was suffering from seasickness.
The IDF Spokesman’s Office declined to comment on the matter.
Tuesday’s incident recalls one 40 years ago, when Netanyahu was a member of the IDF’s elite Sayeret Matkal reconnaissance unit, which had gone on an intelligence mission in Egypt. The unit was taken through the Suez Canal by naval commandos. The Egyptians opened fire, and Netanyahu fell into the water while trying to dodge the bullets.
He was wearing gear that weighed several dozen kilograms, from which he failed to extricate himself. Another soldier on the team, Amatzia Ben-Haim of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, came to the rescue, pulling Netanyahu back into the boat.
Notes/Sources:
1.Haaretz
