Danny Yatom: Hamas dragged Israel into a conflict, and Israel failed to understand this
Former Mossad Director Maj.-Gen. (res.). Danny Yatom said on Tuesday that a draft State Comptroller report, which examines Israeli political and military decision-making in the lead-up to Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in 2014, is a “very severe” document that points to serious failings.
Yatom, who spoke during the launch of his new 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 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 also 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 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 intelligence agency, Yatom also commanded the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, and headed the Diplomatic-Security Headquarters in the Prime Minister’s Bureau.
He commanded over a range of operations, and reveals new details on past events and leaders.
As reported by Business Insider