Ehud Barak, the recently appointed Israel Defense Force chief of staff, seems to have defused the public outcry over disclosure last week that IDF undercover squads disguise as Arabs are operating against intifada activists in the administered territories.
He appeared Tuesday before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to explain why it is useful to make public what normally would be classified information.
He claimed the main reasons for publicizing the operation were to deter young Palestinians from joining terrorist organizations, to let the Arab population know that the IDF distinguishes between them and “the hard core of the intifada” and to keep the population guessing.
Barak said the information had not actually been classified, because the Palestinian population is well aware of the undercover units.
Pictures of the undercover units in action were broadcast on the state-owned television channel Friday night. Barak said he took full responsibility for the telecast.
Critics of all political hues, including former members of the defense establishment, called the exposure a grave mistake. Barak took the flak, inasmuch as Defense Minister Moshe Arens is in the United States.
The chief of staff told reporters after the meeting that he thought he had won the support of the committee members.
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