29 july 2016
Netanyahu, Ya'alon, and Gantz. All three are reportedly criticized in the comptroller's report.
Comptroller Yosef Shapira is determined to prevent the government from classifying the non-operational details in his report of the 2014 war in Gaza.
The State Comptroller’s Office stated Thursday that Comptroller Yosef Shapira will not allow the classification of parts of his report on Operation Protective Edge that do not pertain to operational details. Channel 2 News’ Amnon Rubinstein reported that if there is an attempt to prevent the report’s publication, Shapira will recommend that a national board of inquiry be established.
Shapira has already stated that he is examining the government and Cabinet’s decision making during the 2014 operation. He believes the number of discussions and their depth, as well as the issue of the government’s awareness of the threat of Hamas attack tunnels, should not be classified.
The government has the ability to widen the scope of classification on the report. In case such a thing is done, the comptroller intends to implement his authority and suggest that a national board of inquiry be established to investigate Operation Protective Edge.
The comptroller sent a draft of his report to those who were Cabinet members during the summer 2014 operation. The leaked draft reveals a very severe report, in which the comptroller is set to heavily criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, and former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.
That draft reportedly includes claims that Netanyahu and Ya’alon did not update the Cabinet on the Shin Bet’s warnings of a possible upcoming military conflict with Hamas shortly before it broke out in July 2014, and that the Cabinet did not discuss the tunnel threat until Protective Edge was already underway. Gantz is expected to be criticized over military estimates given to the Cabinet.
The prime minister’s associates have said of the report that it is, “A non-serious report by a non-serious comptroller.” They have rejected Shapira’s claims out of hand and said, “The opreration was conducted with transparency and ended in success, all the rest is badmouthing.” They further claimed that the Cabinet met several times, including once especially in order to discuss the tunnel threat.
Comptroller Yosef Shapira is determined to prevent the government from classifying the non-operational details in his report of the 2014 war in Gaza.
The State Comptroller’s Office stated Thursday that Comptroller Yosef Shapira will not allow the classification of parts of his report on Operation Protective Edge that do not pertain to operational details. Channel 2 News’ Amnon Rubinstein reported that if there is an attempt to prevent the report’s publication, Shapira will recommend that a national board of inquiry be established.
Shapira has already stated that he is examining the government and Cabinet’s decision making during the 2014 operation. He believes the number of discussions and their depth, as well as the issue of the government’s awareness of the threat of Hamas attack tunnels, should not be classified.
The government has the ability to widen the scope of classification on the report. In case such a thing is done, the comptroller intends to implement his authority and suggest that a national board of inquiry be established to investigate Operation Protective Edge.
The comptroller sent a draft of his report to those who were Cabinet members during the summer 2014 operation. The leaked draft reveals a very severe report, in which the comptroller is set to heavily criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, and former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.
That draft reportedly includes claims that Netanyahu and Ya’alon did not update the Cabinet on the Shin Bet’s warnings of a possible upcoming military conflict with Hamas shortly before it broke out in July 2014, and that the Cabinet did not discuss the tunnel threat until Protective Edge was already underway. Gantz is expected to be criticized over military estimates given to the Cabinet.
The prime minister’s associates have said of the report that it is, “A non-serious report by a non-serious comptroller.” They have rejected Shapira’s claims out of hand and said, “The opreration was conducted with transparency and ended in success, all the rest is badmouthing.” They further claimed that the Cabinet met several times, including once especially in order to discuss the tunnel threat.
26 july 2016
During the two-year memorial for Operation Protective Edge, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was repeatedly interrupted by parents of the deceased; 'Netanyahu's trying to paint a rosy picture,' said the mother of fallen soldier Li Mat; earlier this week, the families sent Netanyahu a letter demanding an investigation.
While speaking at the official state's two-year memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl for those killed during Operation Protective Edge on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a kinship between himself and the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers. The sentiment, however, did not go over well, as the parents of those who died during the operation interrupted his speech and demanded an independent investigation into the events that took place during those 50 days of battle.
Family members whose loved ones fell during Protective Edge booed Netanyahu, causing him to pause after saying that he, too, comes from a bereaved family. "We don't believe you," shouted Yoram, whose son Capt. Omri Tal fell during the operation. "My son died for democracy, not for this kind of government." Netanyahu responded by saying, "As a bereaved brother, I understand your pain."
Another heckler was Motti, whose son Sgt. Li Mat also fell during the operation. He said that "The families demand that the prime minister follow the example of former prime ministers, who had responded to public pressure by agreeing to an investigative committee, thereby appointing one for Operation Protective Edge." Li's mother, Smadar, also called for such a committee, saying that "The prime minister is trying to paint a rosy picture, saying that it had all gone off wonderfully. If that's the case, what's the problem with setting up a committee?"
Calling family members his "brothers and sisters in mourning," Netanyahu promised that his door will always be open to them. "The settlements surrounding Gaza are flourishing because of your boys. Children are able to play outside because of your boys, and farmers are able to plow their fields thanks to the soldiers and commanders who were called to arms and stood on the front line."
Netanyahu detailed the goals achieved during the operation. "Hamas' plan for an aerial, naval and ground forces attack was foiled. The operation led to unprecedented cooperation with other organizations that similarly recognize Hamas as a common enemy." He assured those in attendance that ultimately, "Hamas had achieved nothing, and peace was returned to the South."
Netanyahu also referred to fallen soldiers Lt. Hadar Goldin and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, whose bodies are still held by Hamas. He promised that their return home "is an ongoing mission for me and one that we will achieve, even if it takes a long time."
President Reuven Rivlin echoed Netanyahu's sentiments, saying that the returning Shaul and Goldin's bodies must be "a part of any negotiation" and citing their return as "part of our moral debt to our soldiers."
Two days prior to the ceremony, several bereaved parents whose sons fell during Protective Edge had sent Netanyahu a letter demanding that a committee be set up to investigate the operation, in which 67 soldiers and five civilians were killed, hundreds were injured and the entire country came under the threat of missile attacks.
In the letter, the parents referred to a recent decision to reconvene the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and to publish its report on the operation that was previously unreleased to the public. "It is inappropriate to reconvene a committee that had already looked into the operation and still decided not to publish its report," their letter stated. "It is your job to set up an independent committee that will investigate the events and those in charge, including the decision making process. We further believe that such an investigation should be transparent and satisfy our need to know what happened."
Responding to the possible criticism that might be aimed at him in the soon-to-be released state comptroller's report on the operation, Netanyahu stated that "Protective Edge is not the Second Lebanon War. The accusation that we didn’t prepare and didn’t know about the tunnels is not true." He added that in the year and a half that preceded the operation, he had conducted eight security meetings, in which he also discussed Hamas' tunnel system threats and demanded that the IDF better prepare for them.
While speaking at the official state's two-year memorial ceremony at Mount Herzl for those killed during Operation Protective Edge on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a kinship between himself and the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers. The sentiment, however, did not go over well, as the parents of those who died during the operation interrupted his speech and demanded an independent investigation into the events that took place during those 50 days of battle.
Family members whose loved ones fell during Protective Edge booed Netanyahu, causing him to pause after saying that he, too, comes from a bereaved family. "We don't believe you," shouted Yoram, whose son Capt. Omri Tal fell during the operation. "My son died for democracy, not for this kind of government." Netanyahu responded by saying, "As a bereaved brother, I understand your pain."
Another heckler was Motti, whose son Sgt. Li Mat also fell during the operation. He said that "The families demand that the prime minister follow the example of former prime ministers, who had responded to public pressure by agreeing to an investigative committee, thereby appointing one for Operation Protective Edge." Li's mother, Smadar, also called for such a committee, saying that "The prime minister is trying to paint a rosy picture, saying that it had all gone off wonderfully. If that's the case, what's the problem with setting up a committee?"
Calling family members his "brothers and sisters in mourning," Netanyahu promised that his door will always be open to them. "The settlements surrounding Gaza are flourishing because of your boys. Children are able to play outside because of your boys, and farmers are able to plow their fields thanks to the soldiers and commanders who were called to arms and stood on the front line."
Netanyahu detailed the goals achieved during the operation. "Hamas' plan for an aerial, naval and ground forces attack was foiled. The operation led to unprecedented cooperation with other organizations that similarly recognize Hamas as a common enemy." He assured those in attendance that ultimately, "Hamas had achieved nothing, and peace was returned to the South."
Netanyahu also referred to fallen soldiers Lt. Hadar Goldin and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, whose bodies are still held by Hamas. He promised that their return home "is an ongoing mission for me and one that we will achieve, even if it takes a long time."
President Reuven Rivlin echoed Netanyahu's sentiments, saying that the returning Shaul and Goldin's bodies must be "a part of any negotiation" and citing their return as "part of our moral debt to our soldiers."
Two days prior to the ceremony, several bereaved parents whose sons fell during Protective Edge had sent Netanyahu a letter demanding that a committee be set up to investigate the operation, in which 67 soldiers and five civilians were killed, hundreds were injured and the entire country came under the threat of missile attacks.
In the letter, the parents referred to a recent decision to reconvene the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and to publish its report on the operation that was previously unreleased to the public. "It is inappropriate to reconvene a committee that had already looked into the operation and still decided not to publish its report," their letter stated. "It is your job to set up an independent committee that will investigate the events and those in charge, including the decision making process. We further believe that such an investigation should be transparent and satisfy our need to know what happened."
Responding to the possible criticism that might be aimed at him in the soon-to-be released state comptroller's report on the operation, Netanyahu stated that "Protective Edge is not the Second Lebanon War. The accusation that we didn’t prepare and didn’t know about the tunnels is not true." He added that in the year and a half that preceded the operation, he had conducted eight security meetings, in which he also discussed Hamas' tunnel system threats and demanded that the IDF better prepare for them.
Ahead of ceremony honoring memory of fallen soldiers and civilians killed during 50-day operation, PM seeks to refute charges that state was unprepared to face Hamas tunnels: 'The accusations are untrue.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed claims on Monday made in a report compiled by the state comptroller which is expected to be published in the near future .
His comments came a day before the second annual memorial ceremony honoring the fallen soldiers and civilians killed during Operation Protective Edge which will take place at 5:00pm at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem and will be attended by the prime minister, President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
The ceremony, is scheduled to take place on Tuesday afternoon against a background of demands from bereaved families for an independent committee be formed to investigate the handling of the operation.
During a meeting which took place with military journalists Netanyahu claimed that during the year and a half preceding the operation he convened eight security meetings, also with the cabinet, in which the threat of the Hamas attack tunnels was addressed and instructions issued for their location and destruction.
In an unusual move, Netanyahu turned to the military journalists in light of the pressure being exerted by the families to create an independent inquiry.
He highlighted each meeting with the cabinet prior to the operation along with discussions, including those in the field, in which he personally participated and directed the IDF to deal with the tunnels. He further emphasized that he had requested the implementation of technological solutions for locating the tunnels.
“Protective Edge is not the Second Lebanon War. The accusation that we didn’t prepare and didn’t know about the tunnels is not true,” he told the journalists.
Despite Netanyahu's defiant posture, some senior ministers have also cast doubt on how things were handled. Bayit Yehudi Chairman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the issue on Tuesday without specifically mentioning Netanyahu’s name, warning, “whoever does not learn from mistakes is destined to repeat them.”
“Every commander in the IDF draws on the lessons at the end of operations in order to avoid future mistakes and to improve. What is correct for the infantry wings is also correct for the security and state leadership of Israel," Bennett continued. "We have to learn from past mistakes ahead of the next campaign and not deny them. Learning from real lessons is a sign of strength and self-confidence.”
The main motive behind the prime minister’s move is his desire to prevent the proposed investigative inquiry into the the entire military operation which he contends will hinder the IDF’s functioning capabilities. Moreover, Netanyahu has his own political considerations based on preventing his critics in the coalition to find another reason to censure him.
At the beginning of the week, dozens of bereaved parents, many of whom lost their children during Operation Protective Edge, demanded that an independent committee be formed to investigate the 50-day operation. The orchestrators of the initiative, parents of fallen soldiers, also implored other parents and families of civilians who were killed in the operation to join them.
When the conflict ended, a request was filed to launch an inquiry that would look into events prior to the operation, including the preparedness of the home front, military assessments, incidents during the operation itself and the decision made by the top echelons of the IDF.
However, the request was rejected and the relevant political bodies instructed the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee (FASC) to compile a report on the operation instead, which has yet to be published.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed claims on Monday made in a report compiled by the state comptroller which is expected to be published in the near future .
His comments came a day before the second annual memorial ceremony honoring the fallen soldiers and civilians killed during Operation Protective Edge which will take place at 5:00pm at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem and will be attended by the prime minister, President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
The ceremony, is scheduled to take place on Tuesday afternoon against a background of demands from bereaved families for an independent committee be formed to investigate the handling of the operation.
During a meeting which took place with military journalists Netanyahu claimed that during the year and a half preceding the operation he convened eight security meetings, also with the cabinet, in which the threat of the Hamas attack tunnels was addressed and instructions issued for their location and destruction.
In an unusual move, Netanyahu turned to the military journalists in light of the pressure being exerted by the families to create an independent inquiry.
He highlighted each meeting with the cabinet prior to the operation along with discussions, including those in the field, in which he personally participated and directed the IDF to deal with the tunnels. He further emphasized that he had requested the implementation of technological solutions for locating the tunnels.
“Protective Edge is not the Second Lebanon War. The accusation that we didn’t prepare and didn’t know about the tunnels is not true,” he told the journalists.
Despite Netanyahu's defiant posture, some senior ministers have also cast doubt on how things were handled. Bayit Yehudi Chairman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the issue on Tuesday without specifically mentioning Netanyahu’s name, warning, “whoever does not learn from mistakes is destined to repeat them.”
“Every commander in the IDF draws on the lessons at the end of operations in order to avoid future mistakes and to improve. What is correct for the infantry wings is also correct for the security and state leadership of Israel," Bennett continued. "We have to learn from past mistakes ahead of the next campaign and not deny them. Learning from real lessons is a sign of strength and self-confidence.”
The main motive behind the prime minister’s move is his desire to prevent the proposed investigative inquiry into the the entire military operation which he contends will hinder the IDF’s functioning capabilities. Moreover, Netanyahu has his own political considerations based on preventing his critics in the coalition to find another reason to censure him.
At the beginning of the week, dozens of bereaved parents, many of whom lost their children during Operation Protective Edge, demanded that an independent committee be formed to investigate the 50-day operation. The orchestrators of the initiative, parents of fallen soldiers, also implored other parents and families of civilians who were killed in the operation to join them.
When the conflict ended, a request was filed to launch an inquiry that would look into events prior to the operation, including the preparedness of the home front, military assessments, incidents during the operation itself and the decision made by the top echelons of the IDF.
However, the request was rejected and the relevant political bodies instructed the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee (FASC) to compile a report on the operation instead, which has yet to be published.
25 july 2016
The family of IDF officer Hadar Goldin at his funeral with then-defense minister Ya'alon
In a letter to the PM and other senior political officials, parents who lost children during the 50-day operation demand that an external and independent inquiry committee be established in order to thoroughly investigate all aspects of the operation's handling: 'Every incident should be checked in a transparent manner,' say the parents.
Dozens of bereaved parents, many of whom lost their children during Operation Protective Edge, have demanded that a state committee be formed to investigate the 2014 Gaza operation. The orchestrators of the initiative, parents of fallen soldiers, have implored other parents and families of civilians who were killed in the operation to join them.
The parents expressed their demand in a letter sent on Sunday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with copies to President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee (FASC) MK Avi Dichter.
The letter details events of the 50-day war that claimed the lives of 67 soldiers and five civilians and saw hundreds more soldiers and civilians wounded, with many civilians suffering from shock as much of the country was under threat of rocket fire.
When the conflict ended, a request was filed to launch an inquiry that would look into events prior to the operation, including the preparedness of the home front, military assessments, incidents during the operation itself and the decision made by the top echelons of the IDF.
However, the request was rejected and the relevant political bodies instructed the FASC to compile a report on the operation instead, which has yet to be published.
Therefore, the parents are once again demanding an investigation into the operation.
“Recently, it has become apparent that a decision was made to renew FASC discussions on the subject of Operation Protective Edge and produce a report that was shelved due to the (2015) elections,” wrote the bereaved families.
“It is not appropriate to reconvene the committee that despite having investigated the incidents, still chose not to publicize the findings. Even if the choice not to publish was made by another person rather than the person who heads the committee today, it doesn’t seem right to renew the discussions (of the committee) after such an extensive period of time has passed (since the operation). It would appear as a lack of transparency or as if there were other pressures (not to publish the report), neither of which have a place in the investigation of a matter of such magnitude.”
Authors of the letter also pointed out that “The State of Israel, and us as its citizens, face tough challenges. Therefore, you, who stand at the top, are obliged to undertake measures to learn objective lessons by an external and independent committee which is authorized to look into and investigate every incident of the war and those in charge at the time, including the decision-making process. Furthermore, we believe that the investigation should be transparent which will guarantee our basic rights to know.”
Meanwhile, members of the FASC have attempted to renew the discussions surrounding Protective Edge and the publication of a conclusive report. Just over a week ago, MK Erel Margalit (Zionist Union) asked MK Avi Dichter to reconvene the committee on the matter.
According to Margalit and other MKs, the discussions were brought to a close and the report was not published due to political considerations.
Last week, the Knesset Presidium instructed that the committee be reconvened but failed to establish a specific day or timeframe.
In a letter to the PM and other senior political officials, parents who lost children during the 50-day operation demand that an external and independent inquiry committee be established in order to thoroughly investigate all aspects of the operation's handling: 'Every incident should be checked in a transparent manner,' say the parents.
Dozens of bereaved parents, many of whom lost their children during Operation Protective Edge, have demanded that a state committee be formed to investigate the 2014 Gaza operation. The orchestrators of the initiative, parents of fallen soldiers, have implored other parents and families of civilians who were killed in the operation to join them.
The parents expressed their demand in a letter sent on Sunday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with copies to President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee (FASC) MK Avi Dichter.
The letter details events of the 50-day war that claimed the lives of 67 soldiers and five civilians and saw hundreds more soldiers and civilians wounded, with many civilians suffering from shock as much of the country was under threat of rocket fire.
When the conflict ended, a request was filed to launch an inquiry that would look into events prior to the operation, including the preparedness of the home front, military assessments, incidents during the operation itself and the decision made by the top echelons of the IDF.
However, the request was rejected and the relevant political bodies instructed the FASC to compile a report on the operation instead, which has yet to be published.
Therefore, the parents are once again demanding an investigation into the operation.
“Recently, it has become apparent that a decision was made to renew FASC discussions on the subject of Operation Protective Edge and produce a report that was shelved due to the (2015) elections,” wrote the bereaved families.
“It is not appropriate to reconvene the committee that despite having investigated the incidents, still chose not to publicize the findings. Even if the choice not to publish was made by another person rather than the person who heads the committee today, it doesn’t seem right to renew the discussions (of the committee) after such an extensive period of time has passed (since the operation). It would appear as a lack of transparency or as if there were other pressures (not to publish the report), neither of which have a place in the investigation of a matter of such magnitude.”
Authors of the letter also pointed out that “The State of Israel, and us as its citizens, face tough challenges. Therefore, you, who stand at the top, are obliged to undertake measures to learn objective lessons by an external and independent committee which is authorized to look into and investigate every incident of the war and those in charge at the time, including the decision-making process. Furthermore, we believe that the investigation should be transparent which will guarantee our basic rights to know.”
Meanwhile, members of the FASC have attempted to renew the discussions surrounding Protective Edge and the publication of a conclusive report. Just over a week ago, MK Erel Margalit (Zionist Union) asked MK Avi Dichter to reconvene the committee on the matter.
According to Margalit and other MKs, the discussions were brought to a close and the report was not published due to political considerations.
Last week, the Knesset Presidium instructed that the committee be reconvened but failed to establish a specific day or timeframe.
Medical staff of Martyr Mohammed al-Dura hospital for children in Gaza staged a sit-in at hospital and asked the international community to protect health care rights of Palestinian children.
The Director of the hospital Dr. Jamil Salman delivered a speech during the sit-in which was conducted in order to mark the second anniversary of the Israeli attack on the hospital.
He said the children of Gaza were not spared in the Israeli aggression even while in the laps of their mothers, at school, play yards or even at hospital.
Israeli forces bombed the hospital in the aggression of 2014 leading to the martyrdom of child Ibrahim al-Sheikh Omar while he was receiving treatment in the hospital's intensive care unit, he said, adding that many of the hospital’s sections were damaged as well.
The Director of the hospital Dr. Jamil Salman delivered a speech during the sit-in which was conducted in order to mark the second anniversary of the Israeli attack on the hospital.
He said the children of Gaza were not spared in the Israeli aggression even while in the laps of their mothers, at school, play yards or even at hospital.
Israeli forces bombed the hospital in the aggression of 2014 leading to the martyrdom of child Ibrahim al-Sheikh Omar while he was receiving treatment in the hospital's intensive care unit, he said, adding that many of the hospital’s sections were damaged as well.
