Over half of Israeli reservists lost faith in IOF chief
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A survey by an Israeli think tank has revealed that some 58% lost confidence in the IOF chief, with many believing he should resign immediately.
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Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi speaking during his official appointment ceremony in occupied al-Quds on January 16, 2023. (AFP)
58% of reservists have lost trust in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, a study released Thursday by the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy revealed.
Reservists questioned ranged in age from 21 to 78, with an average of 38 and 174 days of duty during the present war on Gaza.
Of those surveyed, 36% expressed they have extremely poor confidence in Halevi and 22% have moderately low confidence.
Another 22% stated they were ambivalent about supporting Halevi.
Forty-nine percent believe he should resign as soon as possible. A number of top reservists have been pushing for Halevi's resignation since June when it appeared that the Rafah operation would be successful and that there would be no future large-scale operations in Gaza for a new head to oversee.
The study also found that reservists had very poor trust in the IOF high command's administration of the war in general, with 80% being unsupportive, 43% being highly dissatisfied, and 37% being slightly dissatisfied.
Only 14% were moderately supportive, and 4% were extremely supportive.
Israeli Reserve Major General Yitzhak Brik criticized on Saturday the Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, stating that he "should be consigned to the dustbin of history."
Brik's remarks came after Halevi's appointment of Shlomi Bender as the head of Military Intelligence (Aman).
He accused the chief of staff of appointing his friends to protect himself, asserting that both Bender and Halevi have failed, particularly in the context of having "neither offensive nor defensive" plans for Gaza.
"[Bender's appointment] reflects the [bad] level we have reached," Brik said, accusing Halevi of "not taking responsibility, deceiving the public, and continuing unethical practices to strengthen his team," which he described as part of the worst failure in the entity's history.
Halevi to resign when ceasefire deal is reached: Israeli media
The Israeli chief of staff said in closed discussions that he would resign as soon as a temporary ceasefire is reached between "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, Israeli media reported last week, citing sources.
The sources added that Herzi Halevi’s decision has been made, and other officials are also expected to resign alongside him.
Halevi has indicated that the objectives of the war in Gaza, which have not yet been achieved, "are the return of the captives and the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, according to the Israeli media."
Israeli media outlets reported on Sunday that during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Halevi stated that "there are conditions for the deal and it is wise to enter negotiations to achieve the best possible outcome." Regarding the Philadelphia corridor, the top general of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) said he does "not suggest that we make it an obstacle that prevents us from returning 30 Israeli captives in the first stage."
Halevi had previously admitted responsibility for the failure of the Israeli occupation army in preventing Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.
“As the commander of the IDF in the war, I bear responsibility for the fact that the IDF failed in its mission to protect the citizens of the State of Israel on October 7,” he said back in May.
