Dan Halutz - follow the money - betting on defeat

Israeli newspaper Maariv has published a story by Reporter Yehuda Sharoni that Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz sold his investment portfolio the day the war broke out.

According to reports, 3 hours after Hezbollah attacked an IDF patrol and abducted two soldiers, at 12 P.M., Halutz found the time to call his investment adviser at the Bank Leumi ,Dizengoff Street Branch in Tel Aviv and order him to sell the shares in his investment portfolio, worth NIS 120,000 (US$25,000 ish). Over the next two days the value of the stock in the Tel Aviv stock exchange lost 8.3 % of its value

Halutz reportedly did not see a problem with his behavior. But he was critical of the newspaper that published a "malicious, evil story that certainly some [interested party] is behind its leak."

Halutz told Maariv that "one cannot link [the sale of the stock] with the war. Such a connection is fantastic. At that time I did not think and did not expect that war would occur." He confirmed the details released in the story.

Haaretz remarked, "Politicians are looking for a scapegoat, since the public will not be satisfied with the removal of Northern Command head, Major General Udi Adam. It is no surprise, therefore, that the offices of the prime minister and defense minister refrained from issuing a statement supporting the current chief of staff."

As to what the average soldier in the IDF thinks of his military leader's priorities ...? . or the parents of the dead one's....?

Hizbollah fighting to get back their country, Halutz fighting to keep his bank balance ?