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Outgoing IDF Chief-of-Staff Moshe ('Bugi') Yaalon.
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners May 16, 2005 |
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Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon said Monday that the "Hamas is building up an armed popular army against the Palestinian Authority.
"Its arming and gain of strength are rapid," Yaalon told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee at a special farewell session held for him.
The Hamas is using the current lull in violence to boost its strength, rearm and establish a popular army that could stand up to the Palestinian Authority, he said.
Speaking at a special farewell session before the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, the outgoing army chief said the terror group's increased strength is a cause for concern.
"Implementation of the disengagement while Palestinian groups are boosting their strength is a very serious problem," he said.
Yaalon, however, noted he never said whether he supported or opposed the upcoming Gaza Strip and northern West Bank pullout, but rather, analyzed the risks and opportunities inherent in the plan.
"The question of what will ultimately happen is a question that has not yet been decided," he said, and added that he did everything in order to minimize the risks posed by the disengagement.
Yaalon, who has at many occasions clashed with members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, notably with its Chairman Yuval Steinitz, said that regarding disagreements between the military and the Knesset, parliamentary supervision over the army is extremely important. "The responsibility imposed on senior (army) officials is heavy," he said, and noted the contact with the Knesset Committee is important and productive.
MK Steinitz (Likud) told Ya'alon in turn that "we salute you and thank you for your contribution to Israel's security." He offered Yaalon a silver plate with the inscription "with gratitude and appreciation of your great contribution to Israel's security and as a souvenir of all the meetings and arguments."
MK Yossi Sarid (Yahad) said that the committee strayed from its responsibility since it hasn't yet investigated with detail the real circumstances for Ya'alon dismissal by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz.
The special session was marred by one embarrassing moment, however, with Knesset Member Omri Sharon, the prime minister's son, became the only committee member who chose to refrain from congratulating Yaalon.
The relationship between the two figures has been tense after Yaalon, speaking in closed-door sessions, pointed the finger at Sharon as the one responsible for failing to extend the army chief's term.
On another front, Yaalon addressed operation Defensive Shield, launched by the IDF in 2002 after a string of suicide bombings devastated Israel, saying it was one of the most important military moves undertaken the army in the past 20 years.
During the operation, the IDF recaptured all West Bank cities, marking the beginning of a sharp decline in terror attacks on Israel.
In that context, Yaalon also praised the endurance displayed by Israelis in the face of repeated terror attacks.
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