Brigadier General Ofer Winter, who will soon be finally discharged from service in the IDF, spoke today (Monday) at a conference at the Jabotinsky Institute - on "From the Events of 1949 to Iron Swords."
According to a report on Channel 7, his speech focused on the events of the terrorist infiltration into the Gaza Envelope on October 7, the combatants' struggle on the ground, and the conduct of the command levels.
About the morning of October 7th, he said: "On that day, those who saved the country were citizens, soldiers, police, volunteers - people who took up arms and with their bodies minimized the damage."
He criticized accusations against the fighters in the field: "The attempt to cast blame on those who were in the field is a serious leadership problem, that's my opinion as a commander. I wouldn't have been able to fulfill the mission. Do you know how many infiltration routes there were? 60! Not six, 60! The attempt to cast blame is like it was in the Yom Kippur War when they fell on the strongholds."
Winter called on the investigators to conduct the investigation carefully and professionally: "I call on those conducting the investigations to slow down. An honest and responsible investigation is the only way to draw real lessons."
He also emphasized the basic values of the State of Israel and the historical and Jewish connection to the Land of Israel: "We are the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We were expelled from here and we returned home. We must hold on to the Bible, because it is our title deed as Jews, not as religious people."
Regarding the complexity of the situation in the Middle East, he said: "We strive for peace all our lives. But to survive here, you have to be lions. I promise not to bite - but being a lamb in the Middle East is a difficult event."
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