Last update - 01:38 13/11/2006
For parents of fallen soldiers, resignation is 'about time'
By Nir Hasson and Gideon Alon
Bereaved parents whose sons fell under Brigadier General Gal Hirsch's command were pleased by the news of the Galilee division commander's resignation yesterday. Across the political spectrum, Hirsch's decision was praised.
The parents and former reserve soldiers who led the protest movement called on Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to follow in Hirsch's footsteps, and those of GOC Northern Command Udi Adam, who also resigned from the military.
"He provides an example of accepting responsibility. Now it is the chief of staff's turn; only such a resignation will lead to real correction of the failures," said Lior Dinamaz, a leader of the reservists' protest movement.
"He should have done it much earlier, maybe victims would have been spared," said Moshe Nissan, whose son Yigal was killed two days before the end of hostilities in the North in the Lebanese town of Bint Jbail. "For the whole war, he tried to show he was Superman, he pressured his subordinates and that caused mistakes," Nissan said.
Haim Tzemach, whose son Oz was killed in the same tank as Yigal, agreed with Nissan. "I am not vengeful, he may have had good intentions, he at least demonstrated responsibility. But he should have been suspended immediately after the kidnappings," Tzemach asserted.
David Einhorn, whose son Yehonatan was killed on August 1 in Aita al-Shaab, has battled for Hirsch's resignation as well as those of other senior officers and the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. Einhorn was angry yesterday that Hirsch was "being made a martyr."
"I am not gleeful, his resignation will not bring Yehonatan back, I will have to continue to live with that. But this resignation is not accepting responsibility. Had he resigned a month ago or even three days ago - but yesterday he was just in a corner with no options. That's not accepting responsibility.
However, Minister without Portfolio Yitzhak Cohen (Shas) called Hirsch an example of sensitivity in the IDF. "Brigadier General Hirsch has chosen to resign and fight for his good name and I wish him success."
MK Otniel Schneller called on Hirsch to withdraw his resignation until the review board completed its work. He said it would be appropriate to move Hirsch to another position, as proposed in the round of IDF appointments, but Hirsch - with whom Schneller had served many years both in reserve duty and in the recent war - resigned as a result of a search for a scapegoat, according to Schneller.