JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi was sharply criticized by chareidi MKs and religious soldiers after he gave a briefing to IDF spokesmen during the course of the Friday night meal, in violation of army regulations.

Kochavi faced the cameras and said that “our task is simple: we must stop terror, restore security and a sense of security.” Kochavi also spoke to individual soldiers while facing the camera, all this while religious soldiers were sitting at the table for their Friday night meal. There was no aspect of Pikuach Nefesh (life-threatening emergency) at the time.

MK Moshe Arbel(Shas) asked Defense Minister Benny Gantz to investigate the matter immediately. Arbel said that it is not enough for the chief of staff to apologize as there are rules and regulations and whoever violates them must be held accountable.

Arbel questioned the necessity of broadcasting Kochavi’s remarks and asked why the religious soldiers had not been given the option of not participating in the event and being photographed on Shabbat.

IDF Spokesman Ran Kochav apologized for Kochavi’s gratuitous Shabbat desecration and said that there was no intention to offend anyone’s sensibilities. “The goal was to allow the public maximum access and transparency with the Chief of Staff. We began the preparations before Shabbat, we will learn and improve. It is important for me to stress that there was no intention to offend anyone’s feelings and if we did, I apologize for this.”

Source: VosIsNeias