Israel's army chief has exposed deep divisions between the military and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by branding the government's hardline treatment of Palestinian civilians as counterproductive and saying that the policy intensifies hatred and strengthens "terror organizations."
Lieutenant General Moshe Ya'alon also told Israeli journalists in an off-the-record briefing that the army was opposed to the route of the "security fence" through the West Bank.
The government also contributed to the fall of the former Palestinian prime minister Ahmoud Abbas, by offering only "stingy" support for his attempts to end the conflict, he said.
Ya'alon had apparently hoped his anonymous criticisms would strengthen the army's voice, which has been subordinated to the views of the intelligence services in shaping policy.
But the comments were so devastating that he was swiftly revealed as the source.
The statements -- which a close associate characterized to the Israeli press as warning that the country was "on the verge of a catastrophe" -- will also reinforce a growing perception among the public that Sharon is unable to deliver the peace with security he promised when he came to office nearly three years ago.
The criticism is made all the more searing because Ya'alon is not known for being soft on the Palestinians. As deputy chief of staff, he described the latest conflict as the second stage of Israel's independence war.
The general warned that the continued curfews, reoccupation of towns and severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, combined with the economic crisis they have caused, were increasing the threat to Israel's security.
"In our tactical decisions, we are operating contrary to our strategic interest," Ya'alon said. "It increases hatred for Israel and strengthens the terror organizations."
Earlier this week, army commanders in the West Bank told a meeting of the military administration in the occupied territories that Palestinians had reached new depths of despair, which was fuelling hatred for Israel that had little to do with the propaganda so often blamed by the government.
"There is no hope, no expectations for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, nor in Bethlehem and Jericho," Ya'alon said.
The commanders warned that the situation was strengthening Hamas, a view the Israeli intelligence services agreed with.
But while the army sees the solution as easing most oppressive elements of occupation, the Shin Bet argues that growing support for Islamist groups is a reason to keep the clampdown in place. This is the preferred option of the defense minister and Ya'alon's predecessor as army chief of staff, Shaul Mofaz.
Sharon and Mofaz were reportedly furious at the general's statements and initially demanded that he retract them or resign. But the political establishment apparently decided it would be a better tactic to deride Ya'alon.
Anonymous sources in the prime minister's office were quoted in the Israeli press complaining that the army chief was trying to blame the politicians for the military's failures.
But army radio reported on Thursday that the Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom agreed that there needs to be a substantial easing of restrictions on the Palestinian population.
Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was also reported to have backed the general's view.
Ya'alon also waded into one of the most contentious issues of the day by saying the army had recommended a less controversial route for the steel and concrete "security fence" through the West Bank.
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including
RSS