Addressing a Tel Aviv University forum on Monday, senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad may have once again placed himself between a rock and a hard place, stating he personally prefers a leader like Ahmadinejad over some others, who take a number of years until their true intentions are understood. The Iranian leader he explained states his mind and leaves no room for error.

His remarks were received with a chuckle, with many questioning if he was hinting at Prime Minister Ehud Olmert just a few days after being suspended from his post for releasing controversial remarks to the daily Maariv. Ultimately, Gilad apologized, admitting he overstepped his bounds, stating his comments were out of order.

Not waiting for another row with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Defense Ministry released a statement of clarification, that Gilad was without a doubt referring to the current Iranian leader as compared to his predecessor, and he was not in any way hinting at the prime minister.

Gilad made mention of the threat from Lebanon, which he referred to as “Hizbullahstan”, which he stated enjoys the support of both Iran and Syria, and as a result, poses a significant threat to Israel.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)