IDF leadership, Defense Minister clash over October 7th probe

 IDF leadership, Defense Minister clash over October 7th probe

Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered IDF Chief of Staff Halevi to fully cooperate with the State Comptroller's probe into the IDF's conduct leading up to and during the October 7th Massacre.

A fierce altercation erupted on Wednesday between Minister of Defense Israel Katz and the military echelon, including IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari.

yes its only a photo, but the war seems to have taken a toll on Halevi. 

The clash began when Minister Katz instructed the Chief of Staff to fully cooperate with State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman's probe into the events of October 7th, 2023, in the IDF. In response, the IDF Spokesman issued a harsh statement in which he claimed the IDF was cooperating with the Comptroller and called out the Minister for airing his issues with the Chief of Staff to the press.
In response to the IDF Spokesperson's statement, the Minister's office attacked IDF Spokesman Hagari stating he "overstepped his authority, and noting that this time an apology would not suffice as it did last time when he criticized the government over the Feldstein Bill.
Earlier in the day, Katz said that he ordered the Chief of Staff to allow the State Comptroller access to all needed materials and to cooperate fully with the probe. "There can't be a situation where it seems that the IDF fears inspection and public transparency needed due to the severity of the events that occurred on October 7th while the Chief of Staff was in command of the IDF," the minister stated.
In addition, the Defense Minister reminded the Chief of Staff of his directive to conclude the IDF inquiries by the end of the month and to present them at a quicker pace than those that have already concluded so that he could review them and allow them to influence the upcoming round of appointments in the military.
Following his announcement that he would not approve appointments of IDF generals until the conclusion of the inquiries, the minister added that due to the delay of the inquiries and the fact that substantial inquiries, including those into the events of October 6th and 7th, have yet to be presented to him, it is difficult to approve the appointments of lower ranks as well, which is affecting the operation of the IDF in general. "Therefore, he has decided to approve appointments of those ranking as colonel and lower that will be presented to him and reviewed by him and he intends to meet with the Chief of Staff to discuss the issue," Katz's office stated.

The IDF Spokesman issued a harsh response to the announcement and recommended discussing the issue with the Chief of Staff directly and not through the media. "The IDF is conducting a comprehensive system of investigations to improve the defense of the state and its citizens. The inquiries are progressing as the war allows them, the commanders who are leading the battles are also those who are carrying out the investigations. The command's lack of attention in battle could cost lives."

The IDF Spokesman added: "The IDF is cooperating fully with the State Comptroller, even though such an inspection has never been conducted during a war. Already now the Comptroller is conducting 18 inspections in the IDF. Good quality inquiries are an important basis for learning and the Comptroller's inspection. The inquiries will be sent to the Comptroller with full disclosure when they conclude. The IDF is committed to the quality of the inquiries before the speed at which they are conducted and will do everything to conclude them professionally as fast as possible.

Later in the statement, the IDF Spokesman refuted claims made by the State Comptroller: "It should be noted that the Chief of Staff's office and the Chief of Staff did not recommend to anyone in the military to seek legal counsel. This is the military legal defender's regular procedure that it conducts by virtue of its position and independence without needing permission. We will emphasize that no jurist sat at the IDF's inquiries and even the presence of members of the Military Advocate General is prohibited per the investigative confidentiality law."

Addressing Katz's announcement regarding the IDF appointments, the Spokesman wrote: "The IDF's appointment process is professional and objective, the responsibility for the events of October 7th is being investigated at depth, and wherever there was doubt the decisions were rejected. The IDF is committed to continuing a professional appointment process for its servicemembers who have been fighting for a year and three months. The issues must be solved through discourse between the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff and not through the media

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401994