The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, announced today the adoption by the IDF of the Eiland Report examining the flotilla incident, “Winds of the Sky 7″ and the conclusions reached by its expert team following their examination. The Chief of the General Staff thanked the team and its head, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Giora Eiland, for the thorough and comprehensive examination, which was presented to him and to a group of other commanders this morning.
The Chief of the General Staff appointed the IDF Operations Branch as well as the Doctrine and Training Division to gather the conclusions and observe their implementation by all of the relevant IDF branches. The Chief of the General Staff said that this sort of an examination by experts is at the heart of the IDF’s organizational values as a supervised, transparent institution constantly learning from itself which aims to continue and improve in order to face challenges that lie ahead.
Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi added that the flotilla incident is a learning opportunity that should not be wasted, in order to reach conclusions for the future. “The IDF is confident enough to critically examine and improve itself based on these conclusions. This is the heart and soul of the IDF,” said the Chief of the General Staff, and added: “Neither I nor the examination team identified a failure or negligence, but nonetheless an examination as thorough as this brings up mistakes which must be corrected for future incidents.”
The Chief of the General Staff expressed his appreciation for the Israel Navy and its Naval Commando Unit, which for the past three and a half years proved its unique and high level of capability of boarding boats during various known and publically unknown incidents. He stated: “We continue to send our soldiers every day, in the air, on land and at sea, to missions which are much more dangerous than this flotilla. We want them to continue to take charge and accept risks. I wouldn’t want commanders and soldiers to embark on future missions which are much more complicated and dangerous, knowing that back on land, or beyond their home borders, there awaits an investigation committee. Therefore, the centrality of this examination, its thoroughness and quality, are a central method in our military culture.”
