IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said last week that "Hamas also had some courageous actions" or "courageous fighters," or something of the kind.
As usually happens in the State of Israel, this immediately sent certain political circles into a state of shock: Why did he say what he said? Idolaters must not be praised. The chief of staff's words have a direct impact on the fighting ranks and on the population's morale. Is this the way to uplift the fighters' spirit?
And my answer is: Yes. This is the way to uplift – not only but also – the fighters' spirit. Simply telling them the truth, because they saw at least part of it in the battlefields, near and inside the houses, near and inside the tunnels, and they know the truth: There were some Hamas actions during Operation Protective Edge which, had they been committed by the IDF, we would have dragged brigades to the Western Wall for a thanksgiving prayer and praised them "that whole night."
There are many among us who love and nurture fairytales. Benny Gantz is not one of them. Gantz did something unique, something which happened during and after the Yom Kippur War, the war which we remembered several days ago. He told the truth and put an end at once to the state's national sport in the past generation: Lying to ourselves.
