Against the backdrop of his resignation last week, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reviewed the actions around the war in a confidential discussion at the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
According to him, he did not resign after the massacre because "it would have been harmful to the war effort." He also addressed the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews: "It's possible to draft 4,800 from the ultra-Orthodox public this year, but it might be difficult to achieve due to low participation."
The Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, chaired by MK Yuli Edelstein, heard a confidential review from Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi today (Tuesday). The review covered all fronts, the conscription law, the defense budget, force building, and other issues. The discussion was confidential, but several points were allowed to be published.
During the discussion, the Chief of Staff reviewed various combat sectors, described the decision-making process throughout the war in detail, and elaborated on future challenges. He stated, "The IDF has been fighting in seven sectors for a year and four months, and there isn't a day without combat or dramatic events."
He said, "The development after the harsh beginning is positive. It can't undo the terrible things that happened, but it restores the deterrence we had before October 7th, and in some ways, even strengthens it beyond what it was before October 7th."
He claimed that the war is changing the face of the Middle East, and the world sees it that way too, adding, "The new reality creates both risks and great opportunities."
In the context of his resignation, which he announced last week, he said he did not resign immediately after Simchat Torah, among other reasons because it would have, according to him, harmed the war effort. When an army loses its command, it takes time to launch an adequate offensive, as reported by Ynet.
In the Gaza sector, the Chief of Staff described the severe blow to Hamas's military and administrative arms, so much so that Hamas can no longer function as a military framework and has transitioned into operating as a terror and guerrilla organization. He noted that the hostage release deal was made possible due to military pressure and could not have been achieved without the fighting.
Regarding the distribution of humanitarian aid, he emphasized that the IDF operates precisely according to the political echelon's guidelines. He added, "We need to achieve two things – that Hamas does not control and does not build power, and we must maintain this."
In the Lebanon sector, the Chief of Staff described the impact on Hezbollah and said, "We erased the organization's military leadership, attacked tens of thousands of targets in Lebanon, which significantly weakened Hezbollah."
He described in detail the decision-making process with the political echelon at several significant points during the war, like the assassination of Nasrallah, the destruction of Hezbollah's strategic capabilities, and the initiation of ground maneuvers.
The Chief of Staff noted that these decision-making processes with the political echelon were done with quality and cooperation. He also updated on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement on the ground and the assessments for future developments. According to him, looking forward, "There must not be a significant threat adjacent to the border, and this must be enforced very strongly."
In the Judea and Samaria sector, the Chief of Staff said that each terror attack is tough, but nonetheless, the data in recent years indicates a decrease in both grassroots and organized terror. He added that we are conducting very intensive counter-terrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, using tactics not used before.
Regarding the fall of Assad's regime in Syria, the Chief of Staff said, "There is a direct connection between what we did to Hezbollah and what happened in Syria, creating a chain of events that led to Assad's collapse, who was an important link in the Shia axis, and we disrupted the geographic continuity of the Shia axis." He added that they continuously and cautiously assess the situation in Syria while projecting strength to make it clear what our capabilities are. "We will not hesitate to act if necessary," he emphasized.
Regarding Iran, the Chief of Staff said we closely monitor what's happening in Iran: "We've achieved significant successes in damaging its proxies in the region and also through strikes within Iran." The Chief of Staff elaborated on the importance of cooperation with the United States against the Iranian threat in general. He also addressed the ongoing readiness of the IDF against the threat from Yemen.
Lt. Gen. Halevi addressed the recruitment of yeshiva students, currently under discussion in the committee, saying, "After October 7th, we're in a different place, and now there's a clear security need." According to him, his role and duty are to tell the committee what the IDF needs and can do. He emphasized that he doesn't dictate what the law should be and that there's a separation of powers where the Knesset legislates and the IDF implements.
The Chief of Staff said the IDF needs to grow by ten thousand soldiers, a significant portion of whom should be fighters. The IDF needs to establish an infantry brigade, engineering battalions, and additional battalions for border protection. He proposed that the IDF build a yeshiva in the Jordan Valley for 400 students who would come with their rabbis and hold a battalion-sized sector.
The Chief of Staff added that the IDF could draft 4,800 ultra-Orthodox this year, but it might be challenging due to low participation. A year later, it could be increased by 20%, and after two years, the IDF could achieve a full recruitment cycle of 15,000 or more from previous recruitment years, according to the Chief of Staff.
He added that engaging the "ultra-Orthodox leadership" is important, but without effective sanctions on those who don't show up, it will be hard to effect change. The Chief of Staff further claimed that the more the ultra-Orthodox leadership guides the youth towards this, the achievement will be broader and faster.
The Chief of Staff addressed the massacre investigations, noting that the IDF initiated investigations in the early months of the war without being asked. He insisted on investigating as part of a learning process, as the IDF wants to learn from failure, because only those who experience failure can draw lessons on how to prevent it in the future.
He said, "we investigate honestly and will not hide from any entity, including the State Comptroller, not even one detail. First operational investigations, then inquiry. We try to investigate as quickly as possible, while fighting in seven fronts, but not to make mistakes out of respect for the fallen and their grieving families. In the race against time, quality is very important. The continuation was prolonged due to the combat during investigations, due to the multitude of details and events to investigate, and due to the desire for quality and thoroughness."
Regarding the defense budget and the Nagel Committee report, the Chief of Staff addressed and said it should be remembered that to prevent severe events in the future, lessons must be learned from this war in force building, and to build the IDF ready for combat and maneuvering in multiple arenas and very strong at the borders. There's a need to strengthen reserve units and take good care of the fighters and all personnel, especially after a tough and busy period that has not yet ended.
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