Ex-IDF General Accuses Former Chief of Staff of Misleading Government on Gaza

Ofer Winter, chairman of the 'Am Israel' party and a retired brigadier general, accused former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot of presenting false data to the political echelon to avoid military action in Gaza. Winter made the allegations during a party event on Tuesday, claiming that information regarding the situation on the Gaza border was manipulated during Eisenkot's tenure as chief of staff.

Winter, who served as the military secretary to the defense minister in October 2018, recalled an incident where, despite significant unrest and incendiary kite launches from Gaza, the IDF spokesperson issued a statement calling it the quietest Friday in three months. Winter stated that upon reviewing the actual data that evening, he discovered the opposite was true, describing it as the most severe Friday in three months.

"You understand the madness? Lying to the political echelon, arranging reality as it is convenient, all to avoid a military strike in Gaza," Winter asserted. He linked this to what he described as a long-standing perception within the defense establishment's leadership, stating they had become "addicted to quiet," which he called a "delusion of quiet."

Winter argued that Israel cannot afford to "contain" the enemy and must pursue "decisiveness" rather than temporary quiet or cyclical rounds of conflict. He emphasized that Israel possesses the strongest army in the Middle East and its soldiers are ready for decisive action. He concluded by stating that a truly deterred enemy is one that has paid a heavy price and understands facing a strong nation that will not hesitate to break it, rejecting empty threats and meaningless talk.