“There are 1.5 million people living in Gaza and only one of them really needs humanitarian aid,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said to the Knesset on Monday. “Only one of them is locked in a tiny room and never sees the light of day, only one of them is not allowed visits and is in uncertain health – his name is Gilad Shalit, and this month four years will have passed since he was kidnapped.”
IDF soldiers who seized control of Gaza-bound ships last week will not face questioning, the Defense Minister said. There have been calls to investigate the incident, which led to a clash between soldiers and armed attackers on board the boats in which nine people were killed. “I insist that soldiers not be required to undergo an investigation… We don’t plan to investigate soldiers in Hebrew or in English,” he said in response to no-confidence measures brought before the Knesset.
While individual soldiers will not face investigation, the incident as a whole should be looked into in order to assess IDF performance, Barak continued. By investigating IDF decisions, Israel is better prepared for future operations, he said.
The defense minister rejected claims that the Israeli blockade has caused a crisis in Gaza. “There’s no humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” he stated.
Read more at Arutz Shevah.
{Arutz Shevah/Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
This is Barak’s first sensible comment.
Thank God for common sense. The world can go and Ezekiel Chapter 38 will prove it.
Theres no humanitarian crisis in Gaza,
That’s simply not true. You can argue that it’s not Israel’s fault, and that the crisis is because their government uses foreign aid designated for humanitarian needs for weapons manufacturing, but there is a crisis there.
We love you Gilad Shalit! We daven every day for your safety and immediate return to your family and your land!I hope somehow you know NO ONE IS ISRAEL HAS EVER FORGOTTEN YOUR PLIGHT! EVERY DAY WE HOPE IS THE DAY THAT YOU COME BACK TO US!!
Ehud Barak; thank you for saying what needed to be said to these who aren’t Israel. It is great to see all of us, united with one mind with our leaders. No other nation has the heart of their people like Israel. We love Israel, and we love when you defend us!
A ffirst for DM Barak.
Ehud, all your life you have been an embarrassment to your zeida who used to be the Ponovitch Rav’s chavrusa. This time you showed you can be a mensch. Bring nachas to your zeida, stay the course, and you will gebentched.