Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sent a letter to IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, calling on Halevi to shelve the conclusions of the Be'eri investigation and stop the continuation of the investigative process in the IDF at this current stage.
"When I initially opposed the initiation of investigations in the IDF during the war, I knew what I was talking about. Unfortunately, you insisted that you alone know what is good and right, ignored comments and criticism, and pushed forward with the investigations. The same is true regarding the continued normal management of military appointments," Smotrich began his letter.
He added, "I warned in writing and verbally that these two steps would harm the war and the IDF's ability to achieve its objectives. They would create tensions, anger, and rivalries within the IDF, severely damage the trust of the soldiers and commanders in the senior command and reduce motivation for the war, divert focus and efforts from security and combat to other issues. I warned that soldiers and commanders would be dealing with lawyers and personal divestment of liability instead of combat and its derivatives."
The Minister noted, "It’s impossible not to see how these risks are coming true before our eyes, one by one. A great deal of detachment from the morale in the combat units is required not to feel the depressive atmosphere and the bubbling anger and distrust that result from them."
"The conclusions of the 'investigation' into the tough battles at Kibbutz Be'eri have broken a new record for absurdity," emphasized Smotrich. "First, it's unclear why this investigation was conducted now. What exactly does publicizing its conclusions at this timing serve other than shifting responsibility from the senior command to soldiers and commanders who jumped into the fire and risked their lives, like the Shaldag Unit, when the entire system that was supposed to manage the effort collapsed as if it never existed?
"When you defended your decision to start the investigations in one of the Cabinet discussions, you explained it was important for learning to improve combat while in motion. How does the Be'eri investigation fit this definition? Is it intended so that if tomorrow morning the senior command, intelligence, warning systems, and defense completely collapse again, a few brave frontline soldiers who will be required to save the situation will do it a little better?! Do you really think there is a single serious person who buys this?"
According to Smotrich, ''The 'Be'eri investigation' is an ethical and command failure of the highest order. It throws Shaldag and other units and a few individual heroes under the bus after they moved to engage and operated under fire along with reserve soldiers and heroic civilians who took the initiative and risked their lives and did the best possible under the impossible circumstances created by the catastrophic senior command failure. They are hurt, angry, and feel betrayed, and rightfully so."
The Finance Minister also stressed in his letter, "A serious investigation is conducted after the war, starting from the top with deriving lessons and taking real responsibility by the senior command, led and managed by another command that was not part of the failure and not by those naturally involved in it due to being the very subjects of the investigation, and only at the end does it also involve the soldiers who need to learn and improve. The way investigations are being conducted right now is completely reversed in all the parameters."
"I call on you to shelve the conclusions of the investigation regarding the heroic soldiers who fought in the battle of Be'eri in the first hours and days, stop the continuation of the investigations, calm the stormy spirits in the IDF and Israeli society, and allow the IDF to focus solely on its essential mission for Israel's security - winning the war. Everything else will be carried out after the war and by the new command to be appointed to execute corrections," Smotrich concluded.