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IDF Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi
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| By Israel Insider staff October 2, 2007 |
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In a letter to President Shimon Peres, the IDF Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi called yesterday and today's prisoner release "unethical and immoral" while Corporal Gilad Schalit is still being held prisoner by Hamas, according to local press reports.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to discharge 86 prisoners as a gesture to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Most of the prisoners were released yesterday and the rest are slated for release today.
The prime minister and other leftist MKs criticized Ashkenazi for interfering in political decisions and overstepping the boundaries of the IDF.
"Lt.-Gen. Ashkenazi is not the morality officer of the government," Army Radio quoted the Prime Minister's Office as saying, Haaretz reporterd.
Meretz MK Ran Cohen echoed Olmert's criticism, echoing remarks that Ashekanzi should not intercede in government affairs.
"The chief of staff was out of line. It's not his business to address the moral issue of freeing prisoners. He was wrong to write that letter," Cohen said.
Meanwhile, MK Ephraim Sneh of Labor defended Ashkenazi, saying that "it's the chief of General Staff's right to write to any state official." He added, "I have never seen a chief of staff who tried so hard to distance the army from politics."
Schalit's father Noam said that he supports the prisoner release even if it was not directly connected to his son.
"In this case, I support the government's policy that we need to free prisoners in a controlled manner, but it's hard for me to ignore the emotional aspect and the fact that while we're freeing prisoners, we're also not doing anything," he said.
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