Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon said Saturday that the IDF Chief of Staff who replaced him, Dan Halutz, made a number of serious mistakes during the Second Lebanon War.
"What happened with Dan Halutz was a tragedy. He was an excellent chief of the IAF and deputy chief of staff. But it was his hubris that did most of the damage in Lebanon," Ya'alon said during a cultural event in Beersheba.
He stressed that IDF officials must remain humble. "We as generals need to maintain our humility and know our limitations," Ya'alon added.
He said leadership based on setting a personal example was the best way to foster trust. "But officers in the army see only corrupt political leadership. When there is no personal example, it trickles down into the army," the former chief of staff said.
Ya'alon added that Operation Cast Lead should have taken place sooner than it had. "I believe that offence is the best defense. In military operations today, we must transfer the dilemmas to the other side so it can consider whether to continue its provocations or not," he said.
Ya'alon also spoke about Turkey, and said Israel was keeping track of its policies with concern. "Their tendency is to look eastward, to Iran and Syria. This necessitates an analysis of the situation on our part," he said.
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