Dan Halutz: Qassam threat immediate
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
Halutz: Substantial peace comes with substantial price
Former IDF chief speaks at conference about Syrian talks, Qassam threat. 'Theoretically Israel can get by without Golan. It's good to search for any possibility for peace with any enemy,' he says
"When you speak with Syria,
you know what you are talking about. For substantial we must be willing to pay a substantial price. I get a stomachache just thinking that the Golan Heights would be returned, but theoretically Israel can get by without the Golan," said former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz during a cultural event in which he participated in Beersheba.
Halutz refused to answer questions on whether he had known about the negotiations with Syria prior to when they had been announced, and added that "any move that could achieve an agreement is good, but price-dependent. It's good to search for any possibility to reach an agreement with any enemy."
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Halutz explained that the trouble with the Golan stems from its "mental and cultural" implications, since "Israel has existed for longer with all of the territories it owns than without them. A whole generation of Israelis has grown up with the Golan as part of the State, and it is troubling to think about returning it."
The former IDF chief also spoke about the Qassam rocket threat on Israel's southern residents, and said that "this is an immediate threat that lends a feeling of insecurity. The Iranian nuclear threat is a substantial threat, but what should trouble us more is what happens on a daily basis."
Halutz remarked that during his time as chief of staff, his recommendation had been to retaliate at the first round of firing after the Gaza pullout. "We didn't fulfill our resolutions, we didn't take any action – and these are the consequences. We must change the status of citizens who are under rocket fire."
'We are foreigners here'
Regarding a possible operation in Gaza, Halutz said he did not have a definite answer, and added that he was not interested in advising the current chief of staff. "We have been sentenced to fight for our survival every once in a while," he said. "We are foreigners here, and not accepted, and whoever does not understand that is making a huge mistake."
He added that it is important to act according to humane values, and that at times "a change of ideological parameters is necessary, though it may not be well-received by the other nations of the world."
Regarding his resignation following the Second Lebanon War, Halutz said, "I did what I could and followed my own judgment. I didn't ask or expect anyone else to join me." Referring to the new investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert he said, "As his friend and a citizen of Israel, I wish him luck in defeating difficult times. I hope for all of our sakes that there is no truth to the affair."
According to Halutz, the last war did not harm Israel's ability to deter its enemies. He also referred to the Winograd report, saying he "expected more from months of work – for example a referral to the question of whether terms of victory apply to an asymmetrical fight." He added that all he was trying to do in his service was to help Israel.
