Home > Ex-deputy Mossad director accuses IDF of losing its morality
Ex-deputy Mossad director accuses IDF of losing its morality
by Open-Publishing - Monday 9 August 2004By Haaretz Service
Former deputy Mossad director, Shmuel Toledano, launched a harsh verbal attack on Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon on Sunday, saying that the IDF under his leadership had lost its morality and military ethics.
The attack took place during a lecture Ya’alon gave at the Council for Peace and Security, a group of 1,000 top-level reserve generals, colonels, and Shin Bet and Mossad officials.
During the lecture, Toledano asked the participants: "How can you like the IDF the way it operates today?" He then turned to the Chief of Staff and said: "What do you intend to do in order to return our IDF and not your IDF, which is soulless and merciless. There is a feeling among the public that the IDF under your command has entirely lost the sacred value of military ethics following the death and destruction the IDF is spreading at checkpoints". Toledano left the hall following participants’ protests and resigned from the council.
The Chief of Staff said in response that he was sorry certain people did not understand the moral dilemmas the army is faced with. "I am sorry to say that there are those who are nourished by the enemy’s false propaganda. We regret any damage caused to innocent people", Ya’alon said.