Lt. Col. (res.) Avi Farhan, who was evicted from Yamit and Gush Katif, responded on Wednesday to Hosen LeYisrael chairman Benny Gantz, who claimed in an interview with the Yediot Aharonot newspaper that the Disengagement from Gaza was implemented well and that the lessons from it should be applied to other places in the land of Israel.
"I welcome Gantz's interview with Shlomo Artzi. The cat came out of the bag and that’s a good thing. I may only be a Lieutenant Colonel and not a Lieutenant General, but I ask Gantz what security did the Disengagement add to the State of Israel? I cried out and tried to stop the Disengagement, and today everything I predicted is happening," Farhan told Arutz Sheva.
"Gaza has become no less dangerous than southern Lebanon, from which we also fled and carried out a disengagement, albeit without the eviction of communities. I am sorry that a former Chief of Staff expresses himself in such a way."
Farhan continued, "Gantz says that the Disengagement was implemented out of political thought. I have been a refugee for almost 14 years in my own country. Is it the IDF's job to uproot communities and turn the civilians into refugees? Unfortunately everyone, including Gantz, went on to politics and forgot about us. We were forgotten as refugees."
"I do not believe one word coming out of Gantz's mouth," declared Farhan. "I assume that the interview with Artzi was conducted without his advisers because otherwise they would not have permitted him to speak. I'm sure his advisers are pulling their hair out right now."
"Unfortunately, all the veterans of the army who are discharged from the army are looking for a job and they see what kind of movement they should be in and they set their policy according to that," he added.
Regarding Gantz’s partner, Moshe Ya’alon, Farhan said, "I am still optimistic about him because, at least when he was Chief of Staff, he said that the Disengagement would give a tailwind to terror and that's what happened."
"Gantz is a new star and the public is enthusiastic about the star who didn’t talk and then everyone flocked to hear him. Today, based on these words and Gantz's interview and based on the team that was elected in the Likud, we will see that Gantz's seats will drop to a single digit," he predicted.
Farhan said he believes that "the people are not stupid and the people, before they are rightists or leftists, they are nationalists. Gantz is wrong and I hope that with the seats he will win, Gantz will join a national emergency government headed by the national camp. I hope that the Likud will choose Yoav Galant as defense minister and that all the new stars will be given less significant ministries in order to give them the opportunity to prove themselves as politicians."