News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Defense Minister Ehud Barak reacted Wednesday to the publication of a report published by the Breaking the Silence organization, calling criticism of the IDF as “misplaced and misdirected.” Barak said in a press statement, “Any criticism of the IDF from this or that organization is misplaced and misdirected. If someone has a criticism, or information or conclusions about IDF actions, they should bring them to me, as Minister of Defense of the State of Israel, and to the Israeli government that instructed the IDF to restore quiet to the communities in the South.” The Defense Minister added, “The IDF is the most moral army in the world and it operates according to the highest ethical code.”

The Breaking the Silence group published a report Wednesday in which 54 Israeli combat soldiers who served in Operation Cast Lead claim that there were gaps between the army’s report and their eyewitness accounts of “the needless destruction of houses, firing phosphorous in populated areas and an atmosphere that encouraged shooting anywhere.”

An IDF spokesperson stated in response that the organization should encourage witnesses to relate to specific instances and not hide behind conditions of anonymity and generalities. The IDF additionally stated that the conditions of anonymity were unfair and prevent the army from verifying the allegations and responding to them prior to the report’s publication. “From the testimonies that were published, including this report, and from investigations of the battles, it is clear that IDF soldiers conducted according to the rules of engagement of International Law, despite the complexity of warfare,” the IDF stated.