Former Southern Command Chief: 'No Hebrew Word Captures the Disaster's Scale'
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Former Southern Command Chief Tal Russo stated that no Hebrew word can fully capture the scale of the October 7th Hamas attack, calling it Israel's greatest tragedy. He credited civilian and volunteer heroism for halting the assault, as the state and IDF were absent. Russo advocated for a state commission of inquiry to understand the failures and prevent future ones, recalling Hamas's transformation from an enemy to a partner and noting arrogance among leaders.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former Southern Command Chief Tal Russo stated no Hebrew word can capture the scale of the October 7th disaster.
- Russo credited civilian and volunteer heroism for halting the Hamas attack, not the state or IDF.
- He called for a state commission of inquiry to understand the failures and prevent future ones.
- Russo recalled Hamas evolving from an enemy during his tenure to a partner later.
- He expressed frustration over the arrogance of commanders and politicians leading up to the attack.
Former Southern Command Chief, Maj. Gen. (res.) Tal Russo, stated in an interview on 103FM radio that the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, was so catastrophic that there is no single Hebrew word to fully comprehend its magnitude. He described the event as the greatest tragedy to befall the State of Israel, encompassing disaster, failure, and massacre.
Russo emphasized that it was the heroism of civilians, police officers, soldiers, and volunteer organizations that ultimately halted the attack, asserting that the state and the IDF were absent at that critical moment. He expressed frustration over the three years since the attack, finding it difficult to fully process the events that led to it, and noted that while some lessons have been learned, many have not.
Regarding the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, Russo believes it is essential for Israel to understand the circumstances of the failure and prevent future occurrences. He argued that while internal investigations by the military and other bodies are important, a state commission is necessary to systematically assign tasks and improve understanding, even if it is established later than ideal.
Reflecting on Hamas, Russo, who knows the organization well, recalled that during his tenure, Hamas was considered an enemy. He expressed bewilderment at how Hamas later became a partner, stating that in his time, there was a clear policy against engaging with them. He noted that Hamas was relatively weak then but grew and received funding, developing over time.
Russo also voiced concern about a perceived erosion of conduct, including the arrogance of commanders and politicians who acted as if they had everything under control. He stated that this arrogance was evident to him at the time and caused him frustration, indicating it was not a hindsight observation.