Free Republic

Former IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. (res.) Dan Halutz, thinks Israel should mount a crushing offensive against Gaza. He called for a "mortal blow" to be dealt to Hamas's civilian and "military" leadership. In an interview with IDF Radio, Halutz said, "We must bring back our deterrence vis-à-vis Gaza. It has not existed for even one moment since Operation Cast Lead and to this day." Halutz said that in the end, Israel will have to conduct an extensive operation of this kind, and there is no reason to wait. "A rocket struck an empty school on the Sabbath," he...

For the first time, Israel has indicated its inability to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program. Officials said senior members of the government and military have quietly expressed concern over Israel's ability to strike Iran without direct help from the United States. They said some of the ministers and commanders were advising that Israel prepare to live with a nuclear Iran. "We are taking upon ourselves a task that is bigger than us," former Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz said. In a television interview on Feb. 13, Halutz reflected what was termed a growing realization within the government...

Last IDF Casualty Of Lebanon War - Israel Defense Forces Chief Halutz By Joel Leyden Israel News Agency Jerusalem ---- January 17, 2007..... It was not a surprise. And there was no weeping in the streets as Israel Defense Forces Chief Dan Halutz handed in his resignation today. Halutz, a former and respected commander of the Israel Air Force, had been criticized by almost every political party for his mishandling of the Lebanon War. Most notably, for having sent troops into Lebanon in the first few days without food and water. Halutz speaking tonight at a Navy ceremony in Haifa...

Senior Israel Defense Forces officers expressed dissatisfaction yesterday with the announcement by Chief of Staff Dan Halutz that he had recently instructed the Field Security Directorate at the General Staff to keep track of their telephone conversations. According to a report in Haaretz yesterday, Halutz instructed the Field Security Directorate to provide him with the telephone logs of the generals, their department heads and their secretaries, in order to crosscheck whether they have had contacts with journalists. [ . . . ] According to the disgruntled officers , the chief of staff's action "stinks of McCarthyism" . . .

Finally, after what seems to be the end of this war or at least the end of the latest round, the country's leaders seemed to acknowledge that some kind of accounting is called for. Defense Minister announced on Monday morning that he intended to "appoint a team that will conduct an intensive, comprehensive investigation of all the events leading up to the war and during the war." But he failed to say who will lead the team or even what its precise mandate would be. In his Knesset speech, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also admitted that "there were mistakes made,"...

Five days into the 1973 Yom Kippur War, chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. David "Dado" Elazar decided to replace OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Shmuel "Gorodish" Gonen with former chief of General Staff Haim Bar-Lev. The decision was reported to have been made as a result of Gonen's poor response to the Egyptian attack and his actions in the first days of fighting. OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Udi Adam has not been dismissed from his position and was told Tuesday that he would continue directing the current war in Lebanon. Nonetheless, Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz's decision to appoint...

Israel denies it's about to bomb Iran nuke site Jan 2, 2006 Israeli military chief Dan Halutz has discounted an imminent air strike against Iranian nuclear facilities as Iran's President delivered a diatribe against the Jewish state. "I don't think an operation by the Israel defence forces against the Iranians will be necessary soon," General Halutz said. "All political options for halting the Iranian program must be exhausted before other options are considered." He appeared to be toning down the implications of recent statements by Israeli leaders that Iran was only three months away from achieving the technological know-how...

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced that he would appoint Maj.-Gen. Dan Halutz as the next IDF chief of staff. Mofaz's recommendation will be forwarded to the Appointments Committee, headed by judge Gabriel Bach and will then be brought before the cabinet for approval. After his approval, Halutz will began serving as IDF chief in July of this year, after current Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon finishes his term. At 56, Halutz is the oldest general to be appointed to this top post. Born Daniel Zedah in Tel Aviv, Maj.-Gen. Dan Halutz is an ace with three downings of MiGs...