Wartime is not an exception to transparency—it is the test of it.

When Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed that he had been diagnosed with and treated for early-stage prostate cancer, the headline fact was reassuring: the condition was detected early, treated successfully, and he is now in good health, as reported by Reuters and further detailed by The Washington Post.

The more troubling fact lies not in the illness—but in the timing.

For approximately two months, the public was unaware that the sitting prime minister was undergoing cancer treatment. The information was released only after the fact, with the explanation that wartime conditions made disclosure risky, on the grounds that adversaries might exploit the information, as discussed in The Washington Post, reported by Reuters, and reflected in Israeli commentary, including a Haaretz (Hebrew) analysis.

This justification deserves closer scrutiny. If “wartime” becomes a reason to withhold basic........

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