Galilee Division Commander Brigadier General Gal Hirsch promised to launch "the battle of his life" and defend his name and status. On Sunday morning, however, after the findings of the inquiry into the kidnapping of IDF soldiers on the northern border were published, Hirsch informed IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz that he has decided to leave the Israel Defense Forces.
The dramatic announcement was made at the start of a special General Staff meeting regarding the inquiry into the soldiers' abduction. Hirsch was considered one of the most esteemed officers among the IDF's top brass. His resignation brought a long career to an end.
Halutz asked Hirsch not to resign, but the commander refused. In a resignation letter submitted to Halutz, Hirsch noted that from the beginning of the war he received no backing and was constantly defamed. "This is not the way to treat a commander," he wrote, adding that the IDF and the State of Israel were the essence of his life and that he had been part of the military establishment since he was 14 years old.
Hirsch asked that the appointments of other division commanders are not harmed, and said that he made the decision to resign as the recent period was very difficult both to him and his family - however, he added, he is proud to have had the right to defend the country.
"I am responsible for what takes place in my region and under my command. I have no need to 'take responsibility,' I have never given it to anyone," the commander wrote, claiming that the 91st division was well prepared for war.
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