IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Tuesday notified Defense Minister Yisrael Katz that he intends to resign on March 6.
“I informed the Minister of Defense today that in light of my recognition of responsibility for the failure of the IDF on October 7th, I wish to conclude my role by March 6, 2025,” Halevi’s statement said.
“In the remaining time, I will complete the investigations [on Oct. 7] and prepare the IDF for security challenges. I will transfer command of the IDF in a comprehensive manner to my successor. I have sent a letter to the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister regarding this matter.”
The report comes after Defense Minister Betzalel Smotrich demanded that Halevi be dismissed as part of his conditions for his party to remain in the government despite its opposition to the ceasefire/hostage release deal.
Halevi’s letter stated: “In the last four decades, the mission of defending the security of the State of Israel has been a mission of my life. From a young soldier and commander to Chief of Staff, I found pride in my affiliation with the IDF. I saw it as a model organization and felt a heavy responsibility as one of the defenders of the State of Israel and its citizens.”
“I knew well that upon taking command of the IDF, I bore the great responsibility of ensuring that the IDF would be ready to stand the ultimate test of war, know how to deter its enemies, and where it had not neutralized a threat in advance – know how to separate enemies from civilians.”
“On the morning of October 7th, the IDF under my command failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel. The State of Israel paid a heavy and painful price – in human lives, in hostages, and injuries to bodies and souls. The acts of daring heroism by many – security forces, IDF soldiers and commanders, and brave civilians – were not enough to prevent the heavy disaster. My responsibility for this terrible failure accompanies me day by day, hour by hour, and will continue for the rest of my life.”
“The IDF knew how to rise from a very difficult starting point to intense fighting, for more than a year and three months, in seven different combat arenas. The military achievements of the IDF changed the Middle East. The IDF inflicted very severe damage on the military wing of Hamas and created the conditions for the return of hostages, caused an unprecedented blow to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, and significantly weakened Iran and its regional activity.”
“The IDF defends the residents of the Golan Heights from the Syrian buffer and succeeded in destroying the main capabilities of the Syrian army. In the Yehuda and Shomron sector, the IDF operates daily and nightly on effective counter-terrorism missions. These achievements are far above any achievement discussed with the political echelon for each of the arenas, and this significance is stronger in light of the connection of the arenas.”
“These achievements belong first and foremost to the commanders and soldiers of the IDF. My troops, IDF fighters in regular service and reserves, from all parts of Israeli society, stood up for the just war, fought bravely and selflessly, and won every encounter with the enemy. We achieved these accomplishments at a heavy price. We suffered losses of our best fighters, the bereaved families expanded, and the war left wounds and scars among many. The IDF will forever be committed to the families and the memory of the fallen.”
“The objectives of the war have not yet been fully achieved. The IDF will continue to fight for the dismantling of Hamas and its governing capabilities, for the return of all hostages, and will strengthen the security conditions created to complete the safe return of residents of the south and north to their homes.”
“The IDF initiated and implemented an unprecedented and comprehensive investigation process during the war, for the purpose of learning and improvement, strengthening combat and defense capabilities, and as part of the commitment to the bereaved families, to the hostages and their families, and to the public as a whole.”
“In light of my recognition of my responsibility for the failure of the IDF on October 7 and at a time when the IDF recorded exceptional achievements and restored the deterrence and strength of the State of Israel, I wish to conclude my role on March 6, 2025. I made this decision long ago. Now, when the IDF is dominant in all combat arenas and an additional hostage return agreement has been put into action, the time has come. In the remaining time, I will complete the investigations and continue to strengthen the IDF’s readiness for upcoming challenges. In doing so, I will pass command of the IDF in a qualitative and orderly manner to my successor. I will always be a soldier of the State of Israel.”
Following Halevi’s announcement, Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman, the commander of the IDF’s Southern Command, also submitted a letter of resignation to Katz.
In his resignation letter, Major General Finkelman wrote: “On October 7, I failed to defend the western Negev and its beloved and heroic residents.”
“By my conscience and the guiding values that guide me, I have decided to end my role as Commander of the Southern Command and my service in the IDF. This failure is engraved in me for all my life.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
12 Responses
he is not the only one who should resign, but we really need an independent investigation.
א מענטש מיט א הארץ
leaving before the war is over is not good.
The American commanders or the Pearl Harbor fiasco were relieved of command (and thereby demoted) withing a matter of days, and soon thereafter forced to retire in disgrace. Neither participated in the ensuing war. The assumption is someone who doesn’t notice a massive enemy force sneaking up on your position is seriously incompetent.
This perhaps suggests the Israelis have a problem coordinating between their intelligence services and their front line units.
If Herzi Halevi and Yaron Finkelman want to really do teshuva, it’s not enough to just say that they failed on Oct. 7th and will carry it with them for the rest of their lives. They must say the real viduy – WHY they failed, what distorted thinking led them to ignore all the warning signs while threatening and hushing those who wanted to sound the alarm.
Was it hubris in believing that only their concept (conceptzia) is true and all other evidence is false? Was it bringing leftist politics of anyone-but-Bibi into the upper echelons of the army so that instead of protecting the Jewish people they hoped that some smaller scale massacre would topple the right-wing government and end Bibi’s political career?
If those who replace them will be any better than those who failed and are resigning, they need to learn the lessons of the failure. If their replacements will come from the same left-wing clique, then it’s the same as replacing the left-wing Bagatz justices with more of the same i.e. nothing gained. Same policies, same blindness, same mistakes.
I don’t know them well enough however witnessing the great achievements Hashem helped them accomplish I’m inclined to say that OTHERS/Insiders purposely witheld critical information who purposely insured the idf wont be functional etc. Many idf past soldiers,reservists ran to help as they got alerts from their family and friends. However the official idf was not contacted. They were contacted but idf was not reachable. FOUL PLAY IN MY OPINION. Again I ddnt follow exactly these chiefs but deems more logical to have all investigations cleared before resigning. Then again maybe it is afyer investigations and they were found nefluent purposely. I doubt they’ll ever advertise the findings. TOO EMBARRASSING/ DETRIMENTAL (an understatemnt)
I meant “negligent” above(typo, not nefluent)
Kol hakavod to both generals for resigning. It takes a lot to admit to guilt and take responsibility for it. However, since in essence we believe that these military leaders and their soldiers aren’t the main protectors of Klal Yisrael, rather Lomdei Hatorah in the Yeshivos are, wouldn’t it be equally appropriate, if not all the more so, for some senior prominent and prestigious Roshei Yeshivos and leaders to resign from their positions as well? They correctly believe that them and their Torah studies are the actual protectors of Klal Yisrael, and it is truly so, as Chazal taught us, Amalek only attacked Yisrael because they laxed their hands from Torah, so if Oct. 7th massacre happened on their watch, obviously they weren’t studying well enough to protect. And just like it is not enough for a soldier to put on a military uniform and hold a rifle without being effectively doing his duties of protecting, so too it’s not enough for a ben torah to wear a yeshiva uniform and sit in a beis medrash and hold a gemara without being effective. It takes a lot more than just that.
While perhaps their actions or inactions contributed to the October 7th day, the true way of tshuva is to stay, fight and fix what he broke.
Avoiding the thing that causes a person to make a mistake and not confronting it again is not called tshuva. Only when confronted again and making the right choice- does that show the lesson was learned and the tshuva completed.
Maybe one can say- step down from the top position-but stay on and continue to offer your services.
George Washington lost many battles… some of the greatest generals lost small battles or even soldiers.
Actually maybe they’re resigning before they’re being investigated
To truth social what a disgusting comment, also if many roshe yeshiva will resign and stop teaching and learning torah than there will be even less torah, and also which navi told you that October 7 happened because the bnei torah are laxed in their learning to much, maybe it was supposed to be alot worse but their torah protected, and maybe if by the festival they would of been learning torah instead it would of protected and maybe if tel aviv would be full of yeshivos on every block it would of protected…… meaning how do you it happened because the yeshivos are to lax in their learning maybe it happened because there are so many yidden who never stepped foot in a yeshiva.
truth social is either a chinese spy or a troll with a very strange sense of humor