The incoming head of the intelligence directorate urged an investigation into the failures of October 7.
“On October 7, that bitter day that I carry with me on my conscience and on my shoulders, and will carry with me until my last days, we did not uphold the sanctity of our oath, ” Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva said in his retirement speech on Wednesday following his resignation in April as head of the Military Intelligence Directorate.
“I chose to dedicate my entire adult life to the security of the state of Israel. I have always done my utmost as a soldier and as a commander to serve the country with devotion,” he continued.
“The failure of the intelligence corps was my fault,” Haliva said, and he called for a national investigation “in order to study” and “understand deeply” the reasons that led to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Haliva will be replaced by Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder, who was most recently head of the operations division. This appointment has been met with criticism from families of October 7 victims who claim that his part in the intelligence failure on October 7 has not been sufficiently investigated.
At the ceremony, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi addressed Haliva, and said, “Dear Aharon, I have known you for many years and know that you will remember the good you have done, without forgetting for a moment the day we failed. You will carry this memory with you always, but you will also know how to channel it into learning, improvement, and doing good for all those whose lives were completely altered on October 7.”
Halevi also characterized Binder as the right person to take over the position.
Binder’s speech at the ceremony
In his speech, Binder addressed the intelligence failure of October 7. “Where we failed, we will investigate and improve. Where there were mistakes, we will learn and change. Where cracks have appeared, no matter how large, we will insist on repairing and mending them,” he said.
Haliva’s resignation, after taking responsibility for his role in the failure, was postponed more than once due to the ongoing war and the tensions with Iran and Hezbollah, which are threatening retaliation following recent targeted killings.