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Photo: IDF Spokesman
Inspecting the troops: Halutz in the field
Photo: IDF Spokesman

'Terror is terror'

Ynet exclusive: Chief of Staff calls Shfaram shooting ‘terror attack’, but rejects charges IDF failed to prevent murders; also tells Ynet, ‘something is happening here,’ draws link to ‘fiery atmosphere’ in country ahead of disengagement plan, warns hesder yeshivas army will settle scores after disengagement

TEL AVIV - IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz has condemned Thursday's shooting attack in Shfaram in which four people died, and said the event has led him to question the entire army infrastructure.

 

"It’s not very nice to head an organization that produced such a killer," he told Ynet in an exclusive interview. "It’s disheartening, and makes me feel like I’ve got to go dig through the IDF, to find out if there are more rotten weeds I out there.”

 

Do you see a link between the Thursday’s attack and the disengagement plan?

 

“Terrorism is terrorism, even if it’s done by a Jew," he said. "When there are civilian deaths, race and religion doesn’t matter. Neither does their postal address.

 

People have spoken about this possibility. I don’t want to connect this to the disengagement. I don’t want to make this out to be an anti-disengagement protest.

 

But I would say that it is related to the heated atmosphere gripping the country right now that is pushing people to the extremes. When that happens, some people fall off the edge. This is a type of ‘falling off the edge'."

 

The attack was carried out by an IDF soldier. How can you ensure there are no more ‘rotten apples’?

 

“It’s too early to say anything. First of all, we have to investigate, to ask for advice, to listen (to testimony). Only then will I be able to say anything more concrete.

 

At this poinא, all I can say is that I share in the pain of the bereaved families, and wish the injured a full, speedy recovery.

 

I never expected this to occur. I suspected it might, but hoped that it would never go further than that."

 

But it wasn’t altogether unexpected. Lately, we have seen observant soldiers displaying extreme behavior. For instance, two ultra-Orthodox soldiers recently placed a fake bomb in the central bus station in Jerusalem. Something’s going on here.

 

Yes, something is going on here. We must take stock – our whole society, certainly certain parts of it.

 

We must look inside ourselves, must rethink all sorts of social conventions, all of our understandings, some of which may no longer be relevant.

 

But I don’t want to cast aspersions on an entire community. The fact that they wear kippot (head coverings) is no reason to sling mud. We mustn’t condemn an entire, high-quality, law-abiding community.

 

We must be careful of this, because there are many people who oppose the disengagement who aren’t observant, but no one questions them.”

 

In about 10 days, the disengagement plan will get under way. Do you still believe most settlers will leave voluntarily and the mission would be easier than it is being described? 

 

"I believe a large part of the settlers in the Gaza region will leave by the date stipulated by law. It doesn't make the mission easy, but it certainly makes it less difficult." 

 

And yet, we have been hearing recently about more and more people infiltrating Gush Katif. The IDF has in fact failed in this war in recent days, perhaps because the IDF is unfamiliar with this type of war?

  

"That's wrong. There are empty tent cities in Gush Katif, with only a few people gaining entry. Thursday, 200 people who cut the fence attempted to infiltrate, but they were caught, every one of them. Many of them are children, aged 8 to 14, and the leaders are partly army veterans…it's completely irresponsible."

 

"I'm wondering about the parents of those children, who place their kids in such irresponsible hands that cut a security fence and sneak into an area they do not belong in. It's not for me to judge the parents, but we will hold those who led the children accountable…because they blatantly violated the law."

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.05.05, 13:57
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