IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Thursday dismissed criticism of Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, calling it 'unprofessional and cheap,' and specifically responded to attacks from Shas chairman Aryeh Deri. Defrin also criticized Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein for not allowing Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb to present the IDF's position in a recent committee hearing.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Thursday responded to the attacks on Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, specifically addressing criticism from Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and accusing Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein of stifling the military's voice in a committee hearing.
Defrin said that 'part of the criticism of the chief of staff is not substantive, part of it is even cheap. When you do that, you harm the entire IDF.' He also criticized Edelstein for not allowing Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb to present the IDF's position in the recent committee discussion, saying 'he tried to state his position in the last discussion — he was not given the opportunity to say the things.'
The remarks follow Defrin's earlier comments today defending the chief of staff, as reported by The Zioneer, in which he said the criticism was unprofessional and undermines the military. The attacks on Zamir come amid the ongoing manpower crisis in the IDF, as Deri and several coalition members have criticized the chief of staff over conscription policy.
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