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Shimon Sheves

To the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and Top IDF Officials – Go Home!

KBG GPO
KBG GPO

The reality is clear as day. The prime minister, cabinet ministers, IDF commanders, and Shin Bet chiefs have failed. The grave disaster we’re enduring falls under their watch and responsibility if not directly their fault.

Nothing will help. They failed to handle the campaign and hostage deal in the past, and continue to struggle, bearing the significant and heavy blame that weighs on them like a dark cloud.

It is inhumane, even for those doing their job for positive reasons, such as the desire to win and restore our joie-de-vivre. They are unable to make clear-headed decisions considering their mental state after the October 7th disaster. The soldiers and officers in the various combat ranks are doing their job — fighting for us and for our sake. But there is no leadership, responsibility, or strategy, and the goals are unclear.

Recently, we have witnessed two difficult events that have shaken all the residents of the State of Israel.

The first event was the video in which our daughters, young female soldiers, are seen wounded, bruised, and bleeding, standing bravely in the face of terrible humiliation in front of dozens of terrorists who abused, raped, and murdered their friends before their eyes.

We are all stunned by the sheer scale of the failure and disaster, especially as for many hours no soldiers or other forms of assistance arrived to help them. The army was absent; it was as if it didn’t exist. If we needed further proof or shock regarding the failure, we received it in full measure. And as if the terrible and mounting failures weren’t enough, after eight months of fighting, dozens of rockets were fired at Gush Dan and the Sharon region in broad daylight.

The second incident surfaced on social media last Saturday: a video of a masked reserve soldier in Gaza calling for rebellion against the chief of staff and the minister of defense. Had this been an isolated act of a deranged individual, it would be one matter. However, the video was amplified and shared by journalists like Yinon Magal and the prime minister’s son, without any condemnation. Most striking is the prime minister’s silence. This incident is a massive embarrassment and starkly highlights the deep divisions within the State of Israel.

The vast chasm between the citizens and the state’s leaders is insurmountable. One only needs to observe the mothers of the abducted 19-year-old female soldiers from Nahal Oz, listen to the voices of kibbutz members, and residents of Sderot and Ofakim, and share in their tears. To witness the evacuees from the north; to recognize that women, the elderly, and young people are held captive by Hamas, and to realize that the failure to secure their immediate release at any cost reflects a profound insensitivity. To hear and read about the failures of the government and the army in the media, and to find it unbelievable. All of these factors demand that those responsible must step down immediately.

We must call for elections and change the rules within 30 days, following the example of Britain and other countries. In the meantime, tough decisions are necessary:

  1. Stop the fighting on condition that all the abductees return home – alive and dead.
  2. Reach an agreement in the north that includes establishing a security zone and implementing the 2006 UN resolution.
  3. Leave Gaza with a security zone for the communities surrounding it.
  4. Join the American initiative with Saudi Arabia. A decision that will change the strategic position of the state.

If we want to survive, we have no other option. The top echelons of the state and the defense establishment must step down immediately.

About the Author
Shimon Sheves was General Director of the Prime Minister's office under the late Yizhak Rabin. He is currently the Founder and Chairman of HolistiCyber, which provides nation-state level cyber security solution.
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