Kulanu minister calls for probe against ex-IDF chief

The bitter rivalry between Construction Minister Yoav Gallant (Kulanu) and former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi surfaced over the weekend, following reports that Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein plans to close the breach of trust case against Ashkenazi, who was implicated in the so-called Harpaz affair.

The affair centers around a document forged by Lt. Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz in an attempt to discredit then-GOC Southern Command Gallant's 2010-2011 candidacy for the position of IDF chief of staff, and expose the murky personal and professional relationship between then-chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi and then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The forged document was leaked to Channel 2 News and both state comptroller and police investigations were launched following its publication.

News of Weinstein's decision sparked rumors suggesting Ashkenazi, who was a vastly popular chief of staff, will soon announce his political aspirations. Though Ashkenazi himself has yet to make any official announcement on the matter, he is said to be courted by Labor and Yesh Atid, and some reports hedged he may even form a new party.

Gallant, meanwhile, made no secret of his disapproval of Weinstein's decision, telling Channel 2 News he believes "a man who rebelled against the government, a man who betrayed his subordinates, should stand trial and go to jail, not be hailed as a hero. I'm convinced that just like [Ashkenazi] hid his relationship with Boaz Harpaz, he hid his involvement in writing the document," he said, referring to the brief seeking to thwart his military promotion.

The Harpaz investigation, he continued, "Is a very serious thing. We're dealing with a man who gathered information about the defense minister and his wife, about the officers serving under him. ... What [Ashkenazi] did is worse than the Bus 300 [affair] or the Lavon Affair. He should face criminal prosecution."

The Bus 300 affair refers to a 1984 hostage crisis after which Shin Bet security agency officers killed two Palestinian hijackers. The incident was exposed by the media, calling into question Shin Bet directives and greatly undermining the agency's image. The 1954 Lavon Affair refers to a failed covert operation in Egypt that resulted in multiple casualties. Then-Defense Minister Pinhas Lavon denied knowledge of the operation, pinning the failure on the ministry's director general, Shimon Peres. The affair triggered a parliamentary commission of inquiry, and resulted in Lavon's resignation.

Gallant demanded that Weinstein order the police to "release all the information in the case that isn't classified -- and I know for a fact there's plenty of it. When [the public] sees this material people will be shocked."

Ashkenazi, Gallant said, was to blame for effectively ending his military career. "I'm convinced he had a hand in it. The government wanted to name me chief of staff and he distributed this document, which derailed the entire thing. It was a putsch."

He stated Weinstein's decision was "unacceptable. I plan to fight it."

A spokesman for Ashkenazi said: "This case was unprecedentedly scrutinized by the police and the State Comptroller's Office, including the issue of wiretaps. No other public figure has ever had to undergo such scrutiny, which unequivocally concluded that there was no putsch and that Ashkenazi was not involved. The attempt to regurgitate these allegations is unfounded."

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו