Mofaz said: “The security establishment and chief of staff came to him (Netanyahu), and on October 11 they offered to liquidate Hassan Nasrallah, and it was possible to shorten this entire war.”
When asked why he missed the opportunity, Mofaz did not hesitate to criticize Netanyahu, saying: “He was shocked.” He was afraid,” he continued: “In moments like this, when everything collapses for you, you need a moment to recover and set priorities. When the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff come to you and say, Listen, there is an opportunity to eliminate Nasrallah and the leadership of his entire movement, in the first week of the war, what are you afraid of? Who are you afraid of? With the best air force in the world and with the best army in the world.”
According to Mofaz, the result of that mistake was devastating. “Due to shock and inability to make a decision, they evacuated the entire north on an Israeli initiative, and by decision of the Israeli government, and turned the north into a ruined village. Why? “It could have been done and no one would have been removed from their home.”
Hebrew Channel 12 indicated that two months after the outbreak of the war, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy asked Mofaz to head an investigation committee, which will investigate the October 7 failure.
Mofaz revealed the details of that private conversation with the Chief of Staff: “I came to the office, and he said to me: Listen, we have decided to start the operational investigation of the Israeli army. “I have chosen many champions, very worthy people, and I ask you to head this team.”
He added: “He did not mean for me to mess with the government, but rather he wanted us to examine the army.” An army at war must question itself every week. And I agreed, and he said: Listen, it’s confidential at the moment. “We will do it.”
Mofaz continued: “It became known to many that Herzi Halevy was coming to the Council of Ministers and they again prepared an ambush for him, and since then several more ambushes, and they gave him a cold bath again. The man wants to improve the performance of the army. This has nothing to do with the Council of Ministers and the government. This is his absolute right. This is his duty.”
The channel indicated that Mofaz is well aware of the Iranian challenge, and quoted him as saying, “Iran’s story is complex,” describing how the last year shook the system that Iran built around Israel. “During the past year, it was subjected to a strong blow, especially its main proxy, Hezbollah.” As well as the Iranians themselves, their military regime was damaged by the Israeli army’s attack.”
Mofaz believes that “the regime’s aggressive statements are a sign of weakness. They constantly lie, tell myths, and even threaten. At this stage, when they threaten, they reveal their weakness, and paint a picture of a regime that is trying to hide its weakness behind a veil of threats.”
He added: “The solution does not lie in another wave of attacks launched by the Israeli army. The story in Iran is not attacking a few other targets, nuclear or oil, but rather he sees an internal change: the story in Iran is the overthrow of the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current regime.”
Pointing out, “This is a mission that Israel cannot undertake alone, but he believes that this is possible with the Iranian people, and this requires a long time to happen.”
Source: RT
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### Interview with Shaul Mofaz on Israeli Military Decisions and Leadership
**Interviewer:** Shaul Mofaz, thank you for joining us. You’ve expressed some strong critiques regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decisions during the recent conflict with Hezbollah. Can you elaborate on your comments regarding the opportunity to eliminate Hassan Nasrallah?
**Mofaz:** Thank you for having me. Yes, during the war, the security establishment and the Chief of Staff approached Netanyahu with an opportunity on October 11 to eliminate Nasrallah and his leadership. They believed this could significantly shorten the conflict. However, Netanyahu’s response was surprising—he was shocked and afraid.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned that in such critical moments, decisive action is needed. Why do you believe that was lacking?
**Mofaz:** Exactly. In times when everything appears to collapse, a leader must pause, recover, and prioritize effectively. When you have the best air force and army in the world, what is there to fear? Instead of taking that decisive step, we saw the evacuation of the entire northern region, which turned parts of it into a “ruined village” due to indecision. That was a grave mistake.
**Interviewer:** The aftermath was devastating, as you’ve pointed out. What do you think could have been the difference had that opportunity been taken?
**Mofaz:** If we had acted on that opportunity, lives could have been saved, and people would not have been evacuated from their homes. The hesitance resulted in unnecessary destruction and suffering.
**Interviewer:** I understand that following the October conflict, you’ve been asked by Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy to lead an investigative committee. What do you hope to achieve from this investigation?
**Mofaz:** The goal is to conduct an operational investigation of the Israeli army to learn from our experiences. I believe that it is crucial for an army engaged in conflict to continually question and analyze its decisions and actions. We need a thorough examination to ensure that we don’t repeat past mistakes.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for your insights, Mofaz. It’s clear that strategic decisions in such high-stakes situations can have lasting impacts on a nation.
**Mofaz:** Thank you for having me. It is essential to learn and grow from our experiences, particularly in matters of national security.
