Ya'alon and Halutz attack Netanyahu: Israel is a 'kidnapped state' run by gang behavior

Former Israeli Army Chiefs of Staff, Moshe Ya'alon and Dan Halutz, issued a sharp and unprecedented political stance in a joint article published in the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz. The two generals directed direct accusations at Benjamin Netanyahu's government, claiming it has 'kidnapped' the state's key institutions, indicating that the current authority prioritizes its political survival above the values and unifying institutions upon which Israel was founded.

These statements derive exceptional weight given the high military and security backgrounds of their authors; Ya'alon served as both Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense, while Halutz led the General Staff and the Air Force. This combination of experience makes the article a political testimony from the heart of the security elite, reflecting the extent of the division and rupture between former military leaders and the government's current political approach.

The former leaders used harsh language, stating that 'Israel is a kidnapped state,' an expression that summarizes their view of the alarming reality the country is experiencing under the current administration. The article clarified that the problem is no longer limited to the mismanagement of specific issues but has extended to the core of power, which now treats the state as if it were private property serving narrow objectives.

Ya'alon and Halutz stressed that the current regime views the 'democratic Jewish state' as an obstacle to its continuation, which has led it to a direct clash with traditional institutional foundations. The two generals considered this trend a dangerous deviation from the path set by the founding elites, where public values are marginalized in favor of protecting the ruling coalition and its followers.

The timing of the article's publication coincided with the 'Torch Lighting' celebrations, which the authors used to direct scathing criticism at the current official symbolism. The two leaders believed that these national occasions have transformed from platforms for reinforcing collective identity into tools for polishing the authority's image and rephrasing the public narrative to serve the government's interests and cover up its accumulated failures.

The article accused the government of attempting to 'falsify public consciousness' and erase the effects of political and security failures by turning sovereign state symbols into personal propaganda tools. The two generals warned that this behavior leads to an erosion of trust between the public and institutions, creating a state of national alienation among broad segments of Israeli society.

In a striking linguistic escalation, Ya'alon and Halutz described the government's practices as resembling 'gang behavior,' a description rarely issued by military figures of such stature. They indicated that this style of governance relies on imposing political will away from the legal and ethical standards recognized in the administration of democratic states.

The article also touched upon the issue of conscription, where the two generals strongly attacked the government's efforts to pass laws exempting certain groups from military service. The authors considered these legislations an existential threat to the concept of a 'people's army' and a serious infringement on the principle of equality in bearing burdens, describing them as a 'betrayal of military and national principles.'

The article did not overlook the aspect related to field policies, accusing the government of providing cover for settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and even sometimes encouraging this behavior. The two generals linked this violence to the general trend of eroding official responsibility and the absence of truth in the government's discourse directed both domestically and internationally.

In conclusion, Ya'alon and Halutz called on the Israeli public to act and participate in alternative events in Tel Aviv under the slogan 'The State Belongs to the People.' This call aims to reclaim what they described as the kidnapped state and emphasize the necessity of rephrasing the social contract that ensures the state serves its citizens instead of rulers serving their private interests.

Israel is a kidnapped state, and the democratic Jewish state has become an obstacle to this regime, its followers, and its survival.