In an interview with Haaretz, Yaalon came down hard on both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his own successor as the top IDF general, former Air Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz. He also said that Defense Minister Amir Peretz should be replaced.
Yaalon blames all three for their faulty handling of the recent war in Lebanon, leading to the unnecessary loss of many soldiers' lives. Most specifically, he slammed the decision to initiate a heavy ground offensive two days before the ceasefire came into effect. 33 IDF soldiers were killed in the last two days of the war, Aug. 12 and 13.
"This was a move based only on media spin," Yaalon said. "It had no essential political-security objective. It was designed to achieve the missing picture of victory. This should not be done. You can't send soldiers on a mission in vain after the diplomatic results have already been set. In my eyes, this is corrupt, yes. And therefore people must resign; you don't need a committee of inquiry for this - people who made a decision like this should just take responsibility and quit."
Regarding Defense Minister Peretz, Yaalon said, "He can't say he didn't know or that they misled him. No one can say this. Even if he was not a military man from before... he knows that... this is not the way to go to war [or] to wage a war."
Over the past few days, the IDF's Northern Commander, Gen. Udi Adam, and its Central Commander, Gen. Yair Naveh, have announced their plans to resign. Announcing his decision, Gen. Adam said only, "I am at peace with myself. Let everyone else think what he should do." This was widely understood to be a hint to those above him to follow in his footsteps.
Gen. Adam is the son of the late Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Yekutiel Adam, who was killed in the first Lebanon war, known as "Peace for Galilee," in 1982.
Another former Chief of Staff, Gen. (ret.) Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, said, "This resignation [of Adam] is just the beginning. It doesn't exempt us from what we must examine in and out of the army. There is still much work."
Former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who retired from the IDF with the rank of Brig.-Gen. and is now a Labor Party government minister, called upon Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to resign: "I say to the Chief of Staff that he should learn from Gen. Adam to take responsibility and do the same thing."
Calls from public figures - such as MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union), former MK and retired IDF general Amram Mitzna, and others - upon Olmert, Halutz and/or Peretz to resign abound.
Yaalon blames all three for their faulty handling of the recent war in Lebanon, leading to the unnecessary loss of many soldiers' lives. Most specifically, he slammed the decision to initiate a heavy ground offensive two days before the ceasefire came into effect. 33 IDF soldiers were killed in the last two days of the war, Aug. 12 and 13.
"This was a move based only on media spin," Yaalon said. "It had no essential political-security objective. It was designed to achieve the missing picture of victory. This should not be done. You can't send soldiers on a mission in vain after the diplomatic results have already been set. In my eyes, this is corrupt, yes. And therefore people must resign; you don't need a committee of inquiry for this - people who made a decision like this should just take responsibility and quit."
Regarding Defense Minister Peretz, Yaalon said, "He can't say he didn't know or that they misled him. No one can say this. Even if he was not a military man from before... he knows that... this is not the way to go to war [or] to wage a war."
Over the past few days, the IDF's Northern Commander, Gen. Udi Adam, and its Central Commander, Gen. Yair Naveh, have announced their plans to resign. Announcing his decision, Gen. Adam said only, "I am at peace with myself. Let everyone else think what he should do." This was widely understood to be a hint to those above him to follow in his footsteps.
Gen. Adam is the son of the late Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Yekutiel Adam, who was killed in the first Lebanon war, known as "Peace for Galilee," in 1982.
Another former Chief of Staff, Gen. (ret.) Amnon Lipkin-Shachak, said, "This resignation [of Adam] is just the beginning. It doesn't exempt us from what we must examine in and out of the army. There is still much work."
Former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who retired from the IDF with the rank of Brig.-Gen. and is now a Labor Party government minister, called upon Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to resign: "I say to the Chief of Staff that he should learn from Gen. Adam to take responsibility and do the same thing."
Calls from public figures - such as MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union), former MK and retired IDF general Amram Mitzna, and others - upon Olmert, Halutz and/or Peretz to resign abound.