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Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lit.-Gen. Dan Halutz
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| By Ronny Sofer November 14, 2006 |
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke by phone from the United States with Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lit.-Gen. Dan Halutz to whom he expressed his full support. Olmert stressed to Halutz that the work relations between them will continue to be excellent.
Olmert denied media reports that relations between the two have soured over the war with Lebanon.
During a briefing with reporters in Washington Monday evening, Olmert was asked to comment on calls for the army chief to resign, against the backdrop of the resignation of Galilee Division Commander Brigadier General Gal Hirsch.
Olmert said that the issue was "not serious" and that he refuses to comment on rumors. The PM chose not to respond to the questions.
On Tuesday, Olmert's associates said that the PM was shocked to learn that according to newspaper reports he does not have confidence in the chief of staff. Olmert consequently called Halutz to reassure him that this was not the case.
Peretz: Stop the witch hunt
Earlier Tuesday, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said: "I believe the time has come to stop the irresponsible witch-hunt of the chief of staff, and the IDF. What is this, a children's game? Do we not understand what we are dealing with? Is the media the body responsible for judging, recommending and executing? The time has come for us to differentiate. Committees have been established. Investigation teams have been set up."
"Never before has the IDF investigated itself as it is doing today. There is a government-appointed committee investigating. Let them do the work, let us focus on the central mission we face," he added.
Peretz stressed: "I intend on giving my full support to the chief of staff, to maj.-gen., commanders and soldiers. We do not have the luxury to invest in wasting time on unnecessary debates. Soldiers are deployed on all fronts, tens of thousands of soldiers are looking at us and asking themselves questions. They are supposed to defend the State of Israel. It is not granted that every citizen will be able to lead a routine life. It is not clear that this state knows that despite the daily threats, the IDF faces difficult and complicated missions and we need to be fully focused on these missions."
He added: "Criticism is justified, we have no plans to cover up, criticism will be transparent, but at the moment let us work and I plan to work with the chief of staff and all the IDF's top echelon. We need to do so for the State of Israel. That's the national and real mission that faces us."
This article first appeared on Ynet.
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