In a notable development in the intensity of criticism within Israel, Maariv newspaper writer Avi Ashkenazi launched an attack on the performance of Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, considering his silence as complicity in light of “the political echelon restricting the movement of the army” in the ongoing war on Lebanon, which reflects the escalation of tension between the military and political leadership.
According to Ashkenazi’s article, Zamir is “committed first to the Israeli public and to the soldiers and their leaders,” stressing that although the army is subordinate to the government, it is “not subject to the American administration nor to President Donald Trump,” referring to an external influence that the writer sees on Israeli military decisions.
Ashkenazi recalled Zamir’s previous ability to take independent positions, citing his prevention of a large-scale incursion into Gaza during Operation “Gideon’s Vehicles 2,” and his preference for an alternative plan based on evacuating the residents of northern Gaza and besieging the area, which, according to the article, led to forcing “Hamas” to make concessions, despite the opposition of some government ministers.
However, the writer believes that Zamir is remaining silent at the present time, while “the political level is tying the hands of the army” in Lebanon, criticizing what he described as a reality that allows opponents to move from “safe areas,” where, according to the article, Hezbollah can plan its operations from Beirut, Tyre, Sidon, the Bekaa, and the areas north of the Litani.
He also considered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements regarding directing the army to strike Hezbollah “nothing but propaganda,” noting that Netanyahu “cannot reject the demands of the American president,” due to his preoccupation with his internal problems, from legal issues to political and electoral calculations.
The writer believes that this situation pushes the political level to adopt a policy of “buying time” in Lebanon, through limited operations focused on pursuing Hezbollah members and destroying infrastructure, instead of a military decision, which the writer likens to the approach that preceded October 7 in Gaza.
The article dealt with the decline of what it considered “previous achievements,” noting that after the “Arrows of the North” war, Hezbollah was in a weak position, with about 450 of its members killed, while today it launches repeated attacks, having launched about 25 operations since Israeli Independence Day, including dozens of missiles and drones towards the north and army forces in southern Lebanon.
He also pointed to the incident of the killing of a soldier and the injury of 5 others in a bomb-laden drone attack in the town of Taybeh, considering this an example of the escalation of risks in the field.
Ashkenazi concluded his article by emphasizing that the problem is not limited to the political level, “from which the public no longer has high expectations,” but rather extends to the military leadership itself, considering that what is required of the Chief of Staff is to clarify his position publicly, in light of a situation that is “radically different” from what it was months ago.
