Israeli Army Chief of Staff Sends Message to Soldiers Amid Escalation

Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi sent a message to his soldiers after a recent serious escalation within the army, amid protests by reservists against the “judicial reform” plan.

A Strong and Cohesive Army

Halevi wrote in his letter: “If we do not have a strong and cohesive army, and if the Israeli army does not serve better among young people, then we cannot continue to exist as a state in the region. Therefore, no one who serves has the right to say that he will no longer serve, and we have no right to disobey or refuse a military order or call for service.

He added: “I call on all reservists, including in these difficult days, to separate the civil protest and the security service and comply with its demands. Calls for non-compliance hurt the Israeli army.”

Preserving the Purpose of the Israeli Army

Halevi believed: “It is not too late to correct. We have to fix this, because without an inner and outer block, there is no other way. This is our common responsibility, and this is my personal responsibility, first of all, as Chief of the General Staff. This is the only way we can preserve the purpose of the Israeli army: to protect the state and ensure its existence.”

Warning of Damage to Army’s Capabilities

In turn, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari warned of damage to the army’s capabilities due to the growing protests of the reservists. He told Radio 103FM that “the unit has been damaged” and that “the Air Force’s competence is certainly on the decline.”

Hagari believed that “it is possible to return to competencies very quickly, and an army bloc based on people and on all sections of Israeli society will take time.”

He continued: “We are clearly saying that if something happens and the elements do not match, it will affect competencies, and I say that we will pass the data (to the political level) and we will implement it daily, accurately and without exaggeration.”

Source: RT