We've never seen anything like the battle of generals in the Blue and White party these past couple of days. Since Friday, they've been attacking the prime minister and the cabinet for reaching a ceasefire with Hamas.
As if we weren't here when they themselves spearheaded "arrangements" as chiefs of staff dealing with Hamas. What they saw as perfectly appropriate back then is unacceptable now that they're in the opposition.
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We won't dwell on their mentor, the political acrobat Yair Lapid, who this time is criticizing the Right for its "ineffectuality against Hamas." We won't discuss Lt. Gen. (ret.) Gabi Ashkenazi, who was an expert at fighting dirty against Ehud Barak when it came to the Harpaz document and other matters.
Moshe Ya'alon, a former defense minister who as recently as five years ago was still fighting for a ceasefire with Hamas in Operation Protective Edge. When that operation started, Ya'alon was in favor of a policy of containment. He's no coward, and that is a legitimate position, although the prime minister was correct in questioning it when he said that "the [attack] tunnels are a true threat to Israel, and could change the balance of power between us and them."
Why is it that back then, when there was a much bigger threat than the arson balloons we're seeing now, was a ceasefire "under Egyptian mediation" acceptable, and yet it is not acceptable today? You might say it was his view of a particular situation, but Ya'alon spoke in favor of containment during Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, as well.
Now the situation is more delicate in terms of diplomacy and strategy, and given the volatile reality in the Persian Gulf, there are more reasons than ever not to escalate things in Gaza. The Iranians are just waiting to light up the entire region as a way of deflecting attention from themselves.
Has someone in the generals' group forgotten that the Iranian problem is the first order of business for Israel? There is concern that their lust for power is twisting their judgment and they are conducting their political war, like any other, without looking around. The commanders of yesterday, the politicians of today, are causing Israel strategic damage by unraveling the faith of the public and the soldiers in their commanders. What should a Jewish mother feel when she entrusts her sons to the generals of yesterday, who can suddenly flip-flop so easily and adopt a dishonest political approach? Can they be trusted?
