
Yagil Yaakov, a 13-year-old recently freed from captivity, directed a pointed response to Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, who stepped down as the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate following the tragic events of October 7.
Yaakov and his 16-year-old brother Or were abducted from their home in Nir Oz during the massacre. After enduring 52 days in captivity, they were released in a prisoner exchange in November 2023. However, their father, Yair, remains a hostage in Gaza.
In a biting Instagram post, Yaakov expressed his disdain, writing, “Thanks for the fact that I was kidnapped because of you.” This brief but potent statement, originally in Hebrew, carries deep significance.
Brigadier General Dedei Simchi, whose son Guy was killed in the war, also condemned Haliva’s farewell ceremony. He urged IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other senior officials to step down, holding them accountable for the failures leading to the October 7 massacre.
Simchi remarked, “The handover ceremony for the Military Intelligence Directorate chief is the essence of the arrogance, the boastfulness, and the condescension which characterized the IDF and the Intelligence Directorate before the October 7 massacre, and unfortunately in some places – after it as well.” His sentiments were echoed by many who believed Haliva should have exited quietly, without any formalities.
Simchi, deeply affected by the event, stated, “This disconnected ceremony burns my soul, as someone who served 33 years in the IDF. In skyscraping chutzpa, as if in a different universe, the IDF holds a ceremony [for the Intelligence Chief whose failure to believe reports allowed the massacre to happen] with hundreds of participants.”
{Matzav.com Israel}