Ofer Winter to the Chief of Staff: "Am I a liar? They published the recording of our conversation""

December 12, 2024   

Brigadier General (res.) Ofer Winter responded this evening (Thursday) to the denial of the IDF spokesman about his disclosure - in an exclusive interview for the program 'Yahiye Tov' with Roni Koban and Omri Assenheim - of what happened in the dramatic conversation he had with the Chief of Staff, who did not want to appoint him as the Prime Minister's military secretary, despite Netanyahu's explicit request, during which he said: "I think the Prime Minister's request is irrelevant." Winter, who retired from the IDF this week, said: "I have heard a variety of claims from elements in the military system throughout 30 years of service in the IDF. I have never heard the word 'liar'. I have commanded thousands of fighters and commanders who all know the rule well - 'A word is a word. A summary is a summary.' "I urge the Chief of Staff and his spokespersons to release the full recording in an unedited and unengineered manner - 46 very clear minutes. The public will hear and judge." Winter revealed in an interview what happened in the conversation, which took place 5 days before the surprise attack on Israel: Chief of Staff: The Prime Minister asked to appoint you as military secretary. I think you are not suitable. I consulted in the General Staff forum. Your strategic thinking is not suitable for the General Staff. I ask you to retire from the army and that is at the discretion of the Minister of Defense. Besides, I think the Prime Minister's request (to appoint you) is irrelevant." Winter said in an interview: "If I am the Prime Minister, or someone else, Arik Sharon for example - his head is blown off in a second. Who are you, brazen? Who are you? The Prime Minister's consideration is irrelevant? Who are you, anyway? You are a confused Chief of Staff. You are subordinate to the Prime Minister and the political echelon." An IDF spokesman responded a few hours after the conversation was published: "The things attributed to the Chief of Staff by Brigadier General (res.) Ofer Winter were not said. The meeting in question is documented in the Chief of Staff's office." Immediately afterwards, media members called on the IDF to reveal the recording of the conversation between the Chief of Staff and Brigadier General (res.) Ofer Winter - after the IDF spokesman claimed that the meeting between the two was documented. Commentator Amit Segal wrote: "What is required is to reveal the recording so that it is clear to everyone whether the Chief of Staff did indeed act against the Prime Minister or fell victim to a lie by a res. officer." Akiva Novik from Kan News: "What reason does the Chief of Staff's office have to refuse to publish a transcript of the meeting with Winter now? The man claims that a very clear sentence was said there. The Chief of Staff claims that the sentence was not said. It's 0 or 1. Why leave it word for word when there is a recording?" Michael Shemesh, the political correspondent for 'Kan Hadathos', wrote that the published quotes raise questions: "What happened in the Chief of Staff's office is far beyond this or that quote that was or wasn't: Netanyahu and the Chief of Staff need to explain to the public why a person the Prime Minister allegedly asked on the eve of the war to appoint to the position of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - was not appointed. Up until this moment, none of them have given an answer to this question." The Prime Minister's Office responded to the interview: "If Brigadier General (res.) Ofer Winter's words are indeed true, this is a serious incident. In a democratic country, the Chief of Staff is subordinate to the political echelon and must keep his political or personal opinions to himself.".