IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi on Tuesday congratulated graduates of an IDF officer's course, telling them that "tomorrow, when you begin your careers as officers, you should remember that the IDF will stand by you. We trust your abilities and judgement, and no less important, your moral sense."
Hinting at the criticism of the IDF in the Goldstone report, Ashkenazi said "we will once again see rocket launchers and missiles launched from crowded civilian areas, in villages, cities, mosques, hospitals, kindergartens, and schools. It is a war that was forced on us by our enemies, who believed they could prevent us from fulfilling our responsibilities in this way," he said.