Hostility, Mistrust And Paralysis At Top Of Israel’s Security Establishment

Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, near Gaza, in 2008 (photo credit: David Buimovitch-JINIPIX/Flash90)

Watchdog Finds Hostility, Mistrust And Paralysis At Top Of Israel’s Security Establishment -- Times of Israel

Harpaz investigation, which could now prompt criminal charges, shows utter breakdown of relations between former IDF chief and defense minister in 2009-11, faults Barak but lays principal blame with Ashkenazi and his top aide; Netanyahu rapped for not intervening

A 26-month, state-funded investigation into the sordid relationship between the defense minister and the former commander of the army — a kindergarten-style spat with potentially life-threatening implications — reveals a staggering breakdown of trust in 2009-2011 between Israel’s political and military leaderships.

The state comptroller’s report, released on Sunday afternoon, faults both sides to the crippling dispute, but lays the lion’s share of blame at the feet of the former chief of the General Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, and his most senior personal aide, Erez Weiner, for failing to internalize that they were answerable to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and not the other way around.

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More News On Israel's Harpaz Investigation

State Comptroller: Office of former IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi led efforts to gather dirt on Barak -- Haaretz
Comptroller report highlights the deep distrust and moral decay of Israel's top brass -- Haaretz
Gantz: Harpaz affair saw abuse of power -- YNet News
Harpaz offered to spy on Defense Minister Barak -- Jerusalem Post
Harpaz acted alone in document forgery scandal -- Jerusalem Post
Gantz: Harpaz Affair report a 'sad day for Israel' -- Yaakov Lappin, Jerusalem Post
Analysis: Bruised, but hardly defeated -- Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post
It's time for a criminal probe into the Harpaz affair -- Haaretz
Everything You Wanted to Know about the IDF Scandal but Were Afraid to Ask (+ Fun Video) -- Jewish Press

My Comment: Sheeshhhh .... and I thought American and Russian military scandals were bad.