Israel: Netanyahu’s son shares post describing chief of staff as ‘most failed, destructive’ 

The son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a Facebook post on Monday which said that General Herzi Halevi “will be remembered as the most failed and destructive chief of staff in the history of the [Israel Defence Forces]” due to his failure to crack down on reservists who have refused to show up for duty over the coalition government’s judicial overhaul.

About half an hour after sharing the post originally published by right-wing journalist Erez Tadmor, Yair Netanyahu deleted it, reported the Times of Israel.

In his post, Tadmor accused Halevi of turning the IDF into the only army in the world that does not punish officers who refuse to show up for military service. Instead, he claimed, Halevi invites refusers to “seminars to release tension and discussion circles.”

He added: “The chief of staff has been standing by for half a year. For half a year, publicity agencies and well-budgeted thugs have been inciting and pushing for refusals and threats of refusals, and you, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, have done nothing.” The right-winger accused Halevi of “surrendering” to the organisers and instigators of the protest.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant defended Halevi in a tweet. Praising him as “one of the most excellent officers that I have met in all my years in the IDF and security establishment,” he added that he is “a brave commander, honest, matter-of-fact, coolheaded, thorough and considerate. Many citizens of the country owe him their lives. The people of Israel are honoured in these complex times to have Chief of Staff Halevi leading the IDF.”

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