IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in an interview with Nadav Peri's podcast that part of the criticism directed at the Chief of Staff is 'not substantive and cheap.' He defended the military chief against what he described as unfair attacks.
IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin described criticism of the Chief of Staff as 'cheap' in an interview with journalist Nadav Peri's podcast on Thursday evening. The remark sharpens the tone of the Spokesperson's defenses of Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir throughout the day.
As The Zioneer reported at 17:32 Jerusalem, Defrin earlier issued a statement calling the criticism 'not substantive' and asserting that the Chief of Staff represents the soldiers in Golani and in the tank. In a separate response, Defrin rebuked Shas chairman Aryeh Deri's attacks and criticized Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein for preventing IDF representation at a committee hearing. The Spokesperson's initial interview with Peri, in which he labeled the criticism 'unprofessional and cheap,' was the first in a series of defenses.
The criticism of the Chief of Staff has centered on his warning letter regarding the law freezing arrests of deserters, which some cabinet members have described as a political maneuver. As The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, Defrin told the JNS policy summit that Israel's values are a source of strength. The Chief of Staff has faced mounting public pressure during the election period.
It remains unclear how the Spokesperson's repeated defenses will affect the public debate, and whether the specific criticism Defrin is responding to will subside.
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