Gaza border mayors urge calm ahead of State Comptroller report
The looming release of the State Comptroller's report on tunnels and Operation Protective Edge is rousing as much a storm in the political realm as it is in the IDF and public sphere. Sderot mayor: 'We need to draw conclusions and not look for people to blame.'
The imminent release of the State Comptroller's report dealing with the tunnel threat and Operation Protective Edge has caused political turmoil; a fact which is not lost on Gaza-area mayors and regional council heads, who called for cooler heads to prevail.
Head of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, Yair Farjun, cast doubt on claims ministers weren't entirely aware of the extent of the threat posed by tunnels.
"We always received information about the tunnel threat. The IDF admitted the only solution to deal with the tunnels was to go in (to Gaza). To say no one knew isn't true. We knew and we were as prepared as we could be," Farjun said.
Shai Hajaj, head of the Merhavim Regional Council, called on politicians to moderate their responses to the report, saying, "The report speaks for itself, but I worry about politicians' hysteria. Responses like that undermine the security of residents. The report states that the government needs to invest more in the security of the area and return the sense of security for area residents."
Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi referred to the report as well, saying, "We need to draw conclusions and not look for people to blame."
Davidi's words ring true as many in the political arena are pointing fingers at one another over allegations of negligence and lack of preparedness over the tunnel threat.
However, in response to criticism against the IDF, several hundred reserve officers and soldiers signed a letter of support for former Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, ahead of the release of the report. Gantz is expected to face some criticism over his role in the handling of Operation Protective Edge.
"Discourse surrounding the report is ominous and it is likely to get worse with the release of the report. We find ourselves in an intense internal debate in which we will be presented to the world as having lost the fight and more good people will be subject to public criticism," the reserve officers wrote.
"It is unfortunate that the IDF and its commanders will be subject this, which will not be in their favor nor provide them the ability to respond. We trust military investigations more than anything else. Although they may not always be perfect, they are far cleaner and truthful and allow the army to draw conclusions and implement them," the officers continued.
Hili Tropper, one of the signatories, said, "The fact that former Chief of Staff Gantz is attacked so easily is worrisome. This is a leader who has decades of experience in leading soldiers and we will continue to follow him and the current Chief of Staff. He has given us soldiers and officers backup for years. Now we are asking to back him up."
