Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met today (Wednesday), 29.12.04, with the IDF
Brigade Commanders Forum. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, IDF Chief-of-Staff
Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon and other senior IDF officers were also present.
At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Sharon said that he had
summoned them in order to hear from commanders on the ground. He asked them
to comment on the issues of mortar fire, the Disengagement Plan, refusal and
the evacuation of outposts. The Prime Minister noted that the Disengagement
Plan has been approved by both the Government and the Knesset and would be
implemented according to the determined timetable.
Prime Minister Sharon emphasized that a condition to any diplomatic process
is the cessation of terrorism: “There is no restriction by the political
leadership on the war on terrorism. This is your principal mission. While
it is the Palestinians who must deal with terrorism, as long as they do not
eliminate the terrorist infrastructures, the IDF will do so. There will be
no restriction on you as long as the Palestinians do not eliminate
terrorism, and this has been made clear to the world leaders with whom I
have spoken. On the issue of the war on terrorism, Israel will make no
concessions.”
As a former brigade commander himself, Prime Minister Sharon asked the
officers to express their opinions even if they are different, not to be
deterred and to try to be persuasive.
The officers discussed their activities in the war on terrorism and their
efforts to combat mortar shelling and Kassam fire. They added that the
soldiers were sometimes disappointed by the attitude towards them in the
media. They explained that alongside the endless fighting, the soldiers
feel that there are certain instances in which they are manipulated and
treated cynically.
Most of the officers said that they do not feel that refusal or a failure to
understand the IDF’s mission is major phenomena.
Regarding the outposts, the officers explained the legal problems that they
have encountered and noted that every outpost whose evacuation has been
approved by the legal authorities has been evacuated.
The officers discussed the need to increase communication with the residents
who are supposed to be evacuated under the framework of the Disengagement
Plan and with rabbis who are calling for soldiers to refuse to obey orders.
They added that residents are increasingly accepting that the Disengagement
Plan will be implemented and the phenomenon of denial among residents is
disappearing. On this matter, several officers commented that there is a
large group that is increasingly interested in evacuating and are waiting
for those who will “lead the way”; however, there is also a group - many of
whom are not resident of the area - that is seriously planning to fight the
evacuating forces.
The officers requested that necessary operations be carried out to ensure
that law and order are maintained and that the situation does not
deteriorate. The officers raised the point of the importance of completing
the security fence and of coordinating with the Palestinians at the level of
commanders on the ground.
Prime Minister Sharon thanked the officers for their actions and words, and
said that this is an exceptional group and that, “The State of Israel can be
proud that its security is in the hands of such people.” The Prime Minister
expressed his trust, that as in the past, the IDF will successfully carry
out the complicated mission before it.
On the matter of refusing orders, the Prime Minister said that there needs
to be a daily flow of information so that the public will understand the
dangers that this phenomenon poses to the stability of the government in a
democratic country. The Prime Minister said that it is necessary to fight
the phenomenon of refusal to obey orders with full force and with all the
resources available to Israeli society.
Prime Minister Sharon asked that the war against terror not be relaxed,
since without the elimination of terrorist infrastructures, Israel will be
unable to make progress in the diplomatic sphere.
The Prime Minister emphasized the necessity of continuous operations against
terrorism until disengagement is implemented, and afterwards.
Prime Minister Sharon asked that the Chief-Of-Staff and OC Southern Command
hasten efforts to finding a solution to the tunnel problem: “Don’t let your
guard down; find and realize good and creative solutions in the war against terrorism and against the tunnels.”
Prime Minister Sharon summarized the discussion and said that Israel has
been in more difficult situations in the past and was successful, and therefore we need to look forward with optimism.