Biden-Harris Admin Finds A Way To Alienate Both Sides With New Foreign Boondoggle
Daily CallerOct 26, 2024
Israel's Military Chief Resigns
story
Above: Israeli Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi (C) and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant (L) attend a ceremony marking the anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on Oct. 27, 2024. Image copyright: Gil Cohen-Magen/Contributor/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday that he would step down in March, citing the "failure" to avert Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Halevi said his departure comes after "the military has recorded exceptional achievements in restoring Israel’s deterrence and strength."
Following Halevi's announcement, Southern Command chief Yaron Finkelman also said he would resign due to failing in his "duty to protect the Western Negev and its beloved, heroic residents."
Halevi is the most senior military official to resign so far. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls to resign or take responsibility for Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, though he has acknowledged he will need to address "difficult questions" after the war.
The Spin
Left narrative
Unlike Netanyahu, Halevi is taking responsibility for the security failures that led to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Though extremists in the Israeli government have criticized Halevi on many occasions and Netanyahu has tried to shift the blame onto him and the security establishment, he was an honest and hardworking military leader. Netanyahu should follow Halevi's initiative and resign.
Right narrative
Though Halevi presided over Israel's worst security failure in 50 years, he was an honorable military chief who cares deeply about Israel's security. Nonetheless, the time has come for a new kind of military that refuses to accept partial victories and discards excessive consideration for the enemy. Halevi at times showed weakness, especially when it came to controlling the aid that entered Gaza. Unlike the past, Israel's military must act as an attack dog to ensure the country's security.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Halevi oversaw the security failures that led to Oct. 7 and the brutal campaign of revenge in Gaza. Ironically, Halevi's primary detractors are right-wing fanatics who believe that he was not brutal enough. Either way, whoever takes Halevi's role will be just as bad, if not worse, for Palestinians as Netanyahu works to break the cease-fire.
