The political system returned to October 6.
This is my sad conclusion from the last week.
She needs an immediate shake.
Precisely now, precisely from those who believe in our ability to come out of this war with the upper hand and make amends.
A destructive process of crumbling national unity is underway here in a time of crisis.
They declare that nothing is over, and in practice behave differently.
The great spirit that comes from the battlefield, the tremendous achievements in the offensive battles, the bereaved and wounded families.
It's like nothing touches them.
Absurdly, it is the Israeli government and the Israeli Knesset that interfere with fighting.
A descendant of the late Shamchi with Yoez Handel in Gaza // Photo: Yoez Handel
Victory on the battlefield is not a press conference where a man in a suit declares that he is fighting Hamas, it is the people in uniform - some government supporters and some opponents - who risk their lives for the homeland.
It's blood, sweat, brotherhood of warriors, bravery and a whole lot of heartbreak when friends fall.
This process can be stopped.
come to your senses
To understand what every reservist and volunteer understood from the beginning of the war.
The mountain of blessing and the mountain of our curse.
Realize that the only reason why people like me, who returned to citizenship from the reserves and oppose the elections now, is the need to focus on destroying the enemy.
Not any political consideration or question about the future of this government.
I have no doubt that the government is responsible for the events of October 7.
Netanyahu is responsible, as are the other leaders in the military and political ranks.
They will go home, because that is the meaning of responsibility, except that now we need to focus with clarity of mind on restoring security to the citizens of Israel and on returning the abducted.
Anything that gets in the way should be pushed aside.
including renewed demonstrations in Kaplan.
There is a main and there is a side.
The State of Israel before the war dealt with Tafel, that's why we weakened, that's why we disintegrated, that's why they attacked us.
So much for my starting point.
The problem is that the government and Netanyahu behave in the opposite way.
Slogans are raised (and it turns out they also printed hats) about total victory while doing exactly the opposite on the ground and delivering goods to Hamas.
Press conferences full of venom, and a bunch of delusional members of the Knesset who are not concerned with war but with gathering fans in the primaries.
Tali Gottlieb as an example: A, whom I have known for years since he was in the Golani patrol, became a widower and remarried to Shakma Bresler.
From then until today he is a brave fighter who is responsible for complex operations like the one we saw in Jenin this week.
When Tali Gottlieb lies and echoes delusional conspiracies that reveal his name, alongside photos of him and his children and parents, she hurts the country.
What does she think his commanders and those above them knew?
They should deal with Tali Gottlieb instead of eliminating terrorists.
What does it do to the Israeli public - lies about "domestic enemies" when it is against fighters?
Gottlieb is not an Iranian agent, at best she does not understand that she is working against Israel.
disconnected
The return to Gush Katif also reflects a lack of understanding.
Since October 7th I am ready to discuss any idea that will create confidence and throw the concept out of our lives.
I have no doubt that we will remain with full security control of the Strip.
My plan for the continuation of the war - agriculture in the defense area and the removal of the Gazans to a closed tent city east of Kerem Shalom (to continue cleaning the strip) is also controversial.
I have no problem with an idea.
It gives me great pain to see people dancing, disconnected, when they know that a large part of the public is against.
I have a problem with public dancing when there are so many grieving families.
And yes, I have a big problem seeing Goldknopf standing on a stage, talking about a settlement that he will build, or Proush explaining that it is necessary to recruit the students of the preparatory schools, instead of taking stock of the ultra-Orthodox society about the lack of recruits.
The gap between this politics and those in Gaza is so great that it may collapse the effort of all of us to destroy Hamas.
It's the opposite of outright victory.
Because there are so many achievements in the offensive battles, there is such a heavy price.
What is this stupidity?
It is true that there are others to blame, but in the end the government makes decisions, not anyone else.
We are in a historic moment, I am convinced of it, one of great depression, and in front of it is clarity of thought about Zionism and a return to basic values.
Disintegrating it is a violation of national security.
clear and smooth.
I am losing patience in the face of this experience, as are many reservists from the victory generation that I meet and hear about.
And no, I'm not a trainee in a pre-military preparatory school or an innocent young man.
I know the political quagmire well, the spins and the importance of accumulating voters.
It is simply a deep understanding that proper leadership is a security necessity.
I live in this war the feeling of great pride in this nation and the great pain for the cost.
This is my new life and that of hundreds of thousands of Israelis.
You are the proof
This week I stood over the grave of the late Netzer Shimchi, an armor officer who was killed just before leaving Gaza. I knew him during the war. He entered my heart. Netzer came out of his honeymoon in Thailand and came to fight. We connected operationally and emotionally in the north of the Gaza Strip. We worked together for several weeks: armor and infantry teams of veterans from special units.
In the last conversation we agreed that we will sit down after the war, that there is a lot to fix together.
I am attaching here the last part of what I said in memory of Netzer Shamchi.
In his memory, and as a testament to so many fallen.
Because it is not despondency that leads the reservists who came out of the war, but hope.
The understanding that must change.
A descendant of the late Shamchi, photo: courtesy of the family
"Netzer, here are some things I didn't have time to tell you: to your question, you are the proof. In this very difficult place, I am optimistic about the future here. We will win and make amends. There is no one who expressed it better than you.
"A country that has people like you, commanders like you, cannot lose, but only win. A society where there are young people like you, who choose to return to war out of complete knowledge and choice despite the questions, can be rescued from any crisis and hardship.
"A nation faced with an enemy that seeks death and destruction grows thinking and determined people like you, it has no choice but to fix. Our story will have a happy ending, even when we stand in the most difficult place, a happy ending with pain that will never end at the cost. I know this, because I and all Those who are here - your friends from the battalion and also those you picked up on the way - will not let anything else happen.
"The people of Israel need to know that there is no country without a scion and his people, without the 87th Battalion, without the reservists. They are not the silver platter - they are our roots, the only way to protect the homeland outside and at home. Educate, grow, raise children. We owe him, I owe to him".
were we wrong
We will fix it!
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