The IDF Spokesperson issued a statement condemning criticism of the Chief of Staff as 'not substantive' and asserting that the Chief represents the soldiers in Golani and in the tank. The statement follows a similar defense at 18:00, as reported by The Zioneer, in which the Spokesperson said attacking the Chief of Staff attacks the soldiers.
At 18:12 Jerusalem, the IDF Spokesperson issued a further statement defending Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, this time explicitly labeling the criticism as "not substantive" (lo inyanit). The Spokesperson asserted that the Chief represents the soldiers in the Golani Brigade and in the tank. This follows a statement at 18:00 Jerusalem, as reported by The Zioneer, in which the Spokesperson said "Hurt the Chief of Staff, you hurt the soldiers."
The latest statement is the third public defense from the Spokesperson on Thursday. At 17:32 Jerusalem, the Spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, gave an interview to journalist Nadav Perry (All-in), calling criticism of the Chief of Staff over his warning letter regarding a law freezing arrests of deserters "unprofessional and cheap." In the same timeframe, Defrin specifically rebuked Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and criticized Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein for blocking IDF representation at a committee hearing.
The controversy stems from the Chief of Staff's letter warning that the proposed law could harm military discipline. The Spokesperson has consistently defended the letter as professional and necessary, and has framed attacks on the Chief of Staff as attacks on the soldiers he represents. No specific details about the criticism or the identities of the critics have been provided beyond the Spokesperson's general statements.
4 developments
- DevelopingIDF Spokesperson Defrin at JNS policy summit: 'Our enemies see our values as weakness; we see them as our strength'
- DevelopingDafrin tells All in: Chief of Staff's letter is professional, conscription law 'not ethical'
- DevelopingMK Boaron: IDF Chief of Staff must not grade elected officials, must be subordinate to civilian level
- DevelopingJournalist Itamar Fleishman: IDF chief must see the campaign being run on the army's back
Source and signal
- Internal intake