Israel’s former IDF chief was honored with a ribbon for the Second Lebanon War.
Retired Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz resigned early this year amid widespread criticism of his handling of last year’s war with Hezbollah. Halutz came to Israel’s General Staff headquarters Monday to receive a ribbon for the war from Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Halutz’s deputy, retired Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinski, also was among the honorees.
Noticeably absent was retired Maj.-Gen. Udi Adam, who was chief of Israel’s Northern Command when Hezbollah sparked the 34-day war by abducting two soldiers in a July 12, 2006, border raid.
Adam was sidelined by Halutz and Kaplinski early in the conflict and, after the war ended in a U.N.-brokered truce, was the first member of the Israeli top brass to step down.
The Defense Ministry’s decision to issue a campaign ribbon for the Lebanon war has stirred much debate in Israel, given that the conflict’s achievements remain unclear.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.