Former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz said he was "right in bearing the moral and ethical significance of my acts," following the publication of the Winograd report on the failures during the Second Lebanon War.
Referring to his voluntary resignation, Halutz said, "I didn't shrug off my responsibility for the military's performance on others, and I condemn anybody else's effort to evade responsibility."
Halutz, who is currently staying at Harvard University in the US, published his statement through the IDF's Spokesperson Unit.
- According to the Winograd report, Halutz "had no real answer to the doubts raised over the (war) plan, and didn't present any to the political leadership. In all these areas, the chief of staff failed to fulfill his role, and he did not act with responsibility, good judgment, and professionalism."
In his statement, Halutz added that the partial report was an important milestone in examining the Second Lebanon War and the period that preceded it. "I'm convinced that the members of the commission did their job faithfully and out of a desire to reach the truth." The former army chief said that he did not wish to comment on the report before reading it in full.
'Hard to call Halutz impulsive'
A former senior IDF officer who is close to Halutz, told Ynet, "It should be kept in mind that Halutz left his position only after completing the internal investigation, and that he did not leave the IDF in a state of uncertainty."
Maj.-Gen. (res) Ran Goren, who was a senior IAF officer and Halutz's commander, said, "The criticism against Halutz is difficult. It's hard to say that he is impulsive and unprofessional. I believe that the commission members went a little too far with these descriptions."
IDF to examine report
An IDF committee, headed by head of the army's planning directorate Maj.-Gen. Ido Nechoshtan, will examine the findings of the partial report.
Senior army officials noted that the report includes harsh criticism of the IDF's performance, and that the conclusions will have to be looked into and addressed.