Former Mossad chief: State Comptroller report on Gaza conflict 'is very severe'

Danny Yatom: Hamas dragged Israel into a conflict, and Israel failed to understand this

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Updated: MAY 11, 2016 03:12
IDF FORCES operate inside the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge (photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
IDF FORCES operate inside the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
Former Mossad director Maj.-Gen. (res.) Danny Yatom said on Tuesday that a draft State Comptroller’s report, which examines political and military decision-making in the lead-up to the 2014 Gaza war, is a “very severe” document that points to serious failings.
Yatom, who spoke during the launch of his book Labyrinth of Power, said, “Hamas dragged Israel into Operation Protective Edge, and on our side, we did not understand this.” He added that Israel began dealing with tunnels “after a big delay, and only after terrorists infiltrated Israel through a tunnel.”
Last week, a security source told The Jerusalem Post that the State Comptroller’s report is not as severe as has been described in other reports. He added that “nothing was hidden from cabinet ministers. They were exposed to all the details. This was the case before Operation Protection Edge, and certainly after it.”
The source added that tunnels were a central issue before, during and after the 2014 conflict, and that ministers had full knowledge of them.
During his remarks, Yatom called on Israel to renew negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and to coordinate diplomatic efforts with the Obama administration. “We must do all that we can to convince him [President Barack Obama] to join in a bilateral and regional maneuver, and only if we do not succeed will we have to wait for a new administration to be voted in [to power] in the US,” Yatom said.
Yatom’s new book describes Israel’s fight for security and peace, according to the publishers, ContentoNow, and has an English edition.
In addition to leading the Mossad, Yatom also commanded the elite General Staff Reconnaissance Unit and headed the Diplomatic-Security Headquarters in the Prime Minister’s Bureau.
He was in command over a range of operations, and reveals never before published details on past events and leaders.