The former commander of the Israel Navy, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer Marom, said Sunday that soldiers from the Shayetet naval commando are upset over the prime minister's apology to his Turkish counterpart, over the IDF's Mavi Marmara counter-terror operation.
Marom told Channel 10 that the government "Must say in the clearest fashion, 'We give the combat soldiers and their commanders our backing.'"
Marom noted that the soldiers did not resort to live fire on the Marmara until they were brutally attacked. "I call upon the person who gave the message [of apology], and I ask him to offer backing to the soldiers and commanders," he repeated, in an indirect reference to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
"I am concerned about possible long-term damage if the soldiers and commanders fail to understand the message," he said. "A person who is sent by the IDF to carry out an operation must know that afterwards, he receives full backing for his actions, even if he made mistakes."