Minister Orit Strook today (Tuesday) sent a response letter to the complaint filed against her in the ethics committee, for her use of the phrase "Wagner force" against the heads of the defense establishment.
As I recall, MK Idan Roll from the Yesh Atid movement submitted the complaint to the Knesset's ethics committee following Minister Strook's statement in an interview regarding the use of the term "Wagner Group".
In his address, Roll wrote: "A minister in the Israeli government compares the security forces that protect the citizens of Israel to rebel mercenaries who commit crimes among the most shocking and horrific in history. Because it is easiest to poison the well and then say sorry so as not to pay a public price. She is not my minister."
In the response letter sent to the ethics committee, Strook wrote: "In an interview on June 26, 2023, that I gave to Kol BaRama radio station, I was asked about this unusual announcement by the heads of the security systems. I expressed my position that announcements such as those they published present a distorted and unbalanced picture of the situation that causes damage to the country of Israel and I stated that in my opinion, the heads of the security systems should focus on their security work, while the principle, moral, policy, and ideological positions should be determined by the political level."
In my response, I used, to my great regret, the phrase "Wagner Group" that was present in the news discourse that day. As soon as the interview ended, I realized that although the criticism of the heads of the security systems was essential, the use of the term "Wagner Group" was very wrong and had serious connotations that I did not intend at all.
Therefore, I immediately, and on my own initiative, published the following clarification on the social network Twitter ('X'): "I say here and now: the phrase "Wagner Group" is wrong, and I apologize for it. Entered the conversation due to its presence in the news discourse, but it is completely and completely inappropriate. Sorry and sorry. I do not repeat myself From the factual criticism, about the fact that the heads of our security systems, dedicated and worthy of appreciation as much as they are, are not supposed to be preachers of morality, but producers of security."
"Doesn't concern the Ethics Committee at all"
Struck gives another example of a public apology that she published on her Facebook page: "The sights and sounds from last night torment me. This criticism should have been heard, but it should not have been said in a way that produces, or legitimizes, whitewashing, or brotherly hatred."
Struck also stated in the response letter: "I stand behind these things even now. Also, my clarification was widely published in all the various media."
"Also in accordance with the regulations and the decisions of the ethics committees, the complaint submitted in bad faith, as a tool for political infighting and with the aim of shutting my mouth, must be rejected."
At the end of the article: "Especially on the occasion of the ten days of teshuvah in which we are, I would like to point out that the serious use I made of the expression "Wagner's power" adds to my sorrow and torments me greatly, and I consider it appropriate at every opportunity to clarify that I have sinned and failed with my tongue in front of people who work night and day for our sake and to apologize About that. However, none of this pertains at all to the areas of concern of the esteemed ethics committee. Therefore, I will ask the ethics committee to reject the complaint."
