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Photo: Motti Kimchi
IDF chief talks to Bat Yam high school students
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Nahum Barnea

Don't listen to politicians' nonsense, listen to the IDF chief

Op-ed: Eisenkot's comments accurately reflect the IDF's rules of engagement, common sense, and the IDF's values. Ya'alon and Bennett understand this, because they were fighters themselves, unlike Hotovely and Erdan. But the right ran out of people to blame, so they aim their fire at the IDF chief.

In less strange political times, the comments made by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot would not have caused any kind of storm. Such comments would not have even justified a headline in the newspaper. Eisenkot spoke to high school students who will soon enlist in the IDF. He described to them the characteristics of the "lone wolf intifada" and mentioned that there are situations in which "a 13-year-old girl is holding scissors or a knife. Even if what she did was very grave, I would not want a soldier to open fire and empty a magazine into her, but rather use the required force. Our soldiers are trained well enough to do this."

 

 

What Eisenkot said accurately reflects the IDF's rules of engagement, common sense, and the IDF's values. Beyond that there's also a practical side: If we learned anything from this wave of terrorism, it's that every confrontation that ends in death doesn't increase deterrence - quite the opposite. It tempts more teens to arm themselves with a kitchen knife and become shahids (martyrs). Like moths to the flame, they are drawn to the Damascus Gate. They believe that there, surrounded by armed Border Policemen and TV cameras, they will get their heroic death. Why do them this favor?

 

Last week, two ministers gave their full backing to the IDF chief's comments: Moshe Ya'alon and Naftali Bennett. Beyond personal and political considerations, it appears the two are equipped with the ability to feel what the soldier stationed at the Gush Etzion Junction or the Qalandiya checkpoint feels: They were fighters themselves. They know how to tell the difference between being trigger-happy and being smart. I don't think they can imagine themselves opening fire at a girl who pulls out a pair of scissors, not before trying to stop her by other means.

 

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Yuval Chen)
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Yuval Chen)

 

Tzipi Hotovely, however, who chose not to serve in the IDF and instead did her national service with the Jewish Agency in Atlanta, would easily open fire at anything that moves. The same applies to the Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who served in the Adjutant Corps, but settled for only tweeting against the IDF chief.

 

The attack from the right-wing against the IDF chief derives of their inability to explain to their voters why the wave of violence continues. They're in power and they're facing a Catch-22: They have no targets to bomb, because no organization is behind the attacks; they have no settlements to build, as an "appropriate Zionist response," because the West Bank is filled with settlements. No one gets excited about another outpost, and no one takes comfort in another caravan.

 

If there's any chance to lower the flames, it requires political decisions. Primarily, Israel must dramatically increase the number of work permits; secondly, it must invest in the West Bank's economy and in the quality of life of the population there; thirdly, Israel must give this population hope for the future. But their voters would not like any of these moves.

 

So they need an enemy du jour, someone to bear the responsibility over the situation. They've already exhausted all of their options: Human rights organizations, Arab MKs, the European Union, the United Nations. Their list of targets is empty. Their attack against the IDF chief comes due to the lack of any other choice.

 

On Saturday, Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid came out in defense of the IDF and the chief of staff. This was a twisted and needless move. Lapid protested the fact that anyone dares criticize the IDF. He made a mess of things: The IDF is not holy, nor is it immune to criticism.

 

Herzog complained about the fact Netanyahu has yet to back the IDF chief (he did on Sunday - ed.). Every day Herzog accuses Netanyahu of being a liar, of leading the country into  a moral, diplomatic and security abyss, that he's incorrigible. If Netanyahu really is all of these things, if Herzog truly believes his own speeches, why does he expect Netanyahu to back Eisenkot?

 

Eisenkot doesn't need benefactors. His standing is strong. Those who need to hear clear statements are the soldiers and officers stationed at junctions. They might get confused. It's best for Netanyahu to turn to them and say: Don't listen to the nonsense of my politician friends. Listen to the IDF chief.

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.21.16, 16:06
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