Head of Military Intelligence: "It's not certain that the worst is behind us - we are facing complex days""

April 4, 2024   

The head of the Intelligence Division, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, addressed in a conversation he had with the heads of the research brigade's theaters this morning (Thursday) the retirement of Brigadier General Amit Saar from the position of research brigade commander, due to a malignant tumor - and the war. Regarding the retirement of the head of the research brigade in the Intelligence Directorate, he said: "Amit is an officer with many privileges, who contributed greatly to the security of the State of Israel over decades and dedicated his entire adult life and energy to this work. My appreciation for Amit's work is immense, and even more so during the war, it is immense. He dedicated the best years of his life to the security of the State of Israel, and in general his work was characterized by a unique inner burning concern for the State of Israel. "This is a unique man, who, beyond being a professional and high-quality officer, is above all an exceptional human being whom I greatly appreciate and love as a commander, colleague and friend. "In recent days, we have all learned of Amit's illness. From the first moment, I reflected to Amit that I gave him my full support for any decision regarding his continued role. It was clear to me that everything had to be done to help Amit win this war as well." He later said, against the backdrop of the high alert following fears of an Iranian response to the assassination of a senior Revolutionary Guards officer in Damascus: "I have told you more than once and twice that it is certain that the worst is behind us - and we are facing complex days ahead." Commentator Amit Segal attacked: "If the head of the Intelligence Directorate knows that there is a possibility of worse than it was - meaning more than 1,400 deaths in one day, he should tell his superiors everything he knows and not scare his subordinates and the public. Otherwise, the impression of a cover-up with nothing behind it could be created, just like his general warnings last year about war, but without anything specific and while being completely blind to the war that was raging in Gaza. "The worst thing is 'as I told you more than once and twice.' Bro, don't volunteer to mention on your own initiative what you said and what you didn't." The IDF responded to the comments: "The words of the head of Military Intelligence were not spoken as a situation assessment, but rather in an internal conversation that is not binding. There is currently no new threat that the IDF and the defense establishment have not recognized in the past. The Home Front Command's instructions have not changed in the past 24 hours.".