A confrontation developed between Minister Orit Strook and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir during a political-security cabinet meeting. Strook quoted from the weekly Torah portion the verse "the fearful and fainthearted man shall return to his house, lest he make the hearts of his brothers melt like his heart," and Zamir believed she was implying that the military is fainthearted and afraid. He angrily responded that he had made fateful decisions about the future of the Middle East. Strook, for her part, clarified that she did not intend to suggest fear or weakness, but was referring to the second part of the verse, adding that "they are intimidating us," hinting that there should be no surrender to military opposition regarding the move to take control of Gaza.