Opinion  Ron Ben-Yishai
The generals got it right
Ron Ben Yishai
Published: 04.02.19, 23:15
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16 Talkbacks for this article
1. Rules of Engagement
DSM ,   USA   (02.05.19)
If IDF soldiers are afraid to act due to being second guessed by politicians and IDF lawyers all is lost. Israeli politicians and the military command must quickly come to the realization the Israel is at war and in any war enemy civilians will be killed. What is needed is the revision of Rules of Engagement to protect the soldiers from needless prosecution.
2. WOW, so much senseless dribble & "deep" thinking, when all
(02.05.19)
you have to do is win.
Yes like in: totally subdue your enemy, causing him to beg for peace & forgiveness!
We haven't done it in a very long time.
3. All that is needed is a WILL to win!
(02.05.19)
4. IDF vs IAF
Alan ,   São Paulo   (02.05.19)
i don t understand much about army but i believe is more easy to a fighter jet launch missiles to destroy enemy missiles depot than a ground force, right ?
5. With all due respect to Mr. Yishai...
Ex-Kravi ,   Safed Guy's Hous   (02.05.19)
...something is rotten in the IDF. With the exception of the policing of "Palestinian" militants and the IDF's actions in the Palestinian territories, the IDF's land warfare (infantry and armor) performance since the early 1990's has been subpar. I have no data nor idea if something wedged itself into the collective Israeli/IDF psyche with the lack of the country's response to Saddam Hussein in 1991, or if Oslo and PM Rabin with Oslo's language couched in the notions of withdraw and surrender, released some sort of pent up, historic Jewish pacifism, that had necessarily been on hiatus since 1945... but since the botched training operation to kill Saddam Hussein in the early 90's and subsequent failed Nachshon Waxman raid, the modern history of publicized IDF action since the early 90's indicates successive and persistent failures in almost all aspects of IDF land warfare units including the elite Sayeret Matkal, Shayetit and Sayeret Tzanchanim, indicated by the aforementioned examples and the beguiling 1997 Hezbollah hit on a Shaeyetit operation along coastal Lebanon, and members of Sayeret Tzanchanim getting ground to a halt in Lebanon in the 2006 war by a numerically inferior Hezbollah. More disturbing, perhaps, are the regular units and their successive problems during this same timeframe. Entire Golani units went AWOL and left their positions in Lebanon in the 1990's, Israeli soldiers have been regularly getting kidnapped the same way Israeli units used to kidnap fedayeen in the 50's, 60's, and 70's... the 188th Armor Brigade seems to excel at destroying its own tanks and killing its crews (188th Crybaby Brigade and countless recent news stories) and of course the debacle that was Lebanon 2006 and Gaza 2012, the latter being, perhaps, better executed, don't do much to calm unsettled feelings that the IDF is adrift. Poor morale, poor discipline, poor training, poor esprit de corps... You don't have to be in today to see this happening, it's obvious to anyone who cares to look. In the meantime units such as Shin Bet, Yamam, Agam and the Air Force are doing groundbreaking work, likely the best of the best, globally speaking, but with regards to the land warfare units, particularly the conscripted units... this is getting scary folks. We need a huge return to the days and values of Unit 101 and Arik Sharon.
6. LET'S GO GUYS, GOT TO GET READY!
Rafi ,   US   (02.05.19)
Peace thru STRENGTH

You can't fight a war with Gilad Shavit paralysis...
7. lack of leadership priority and adequate military doctrine
Avram Goldsmith ,   Toronto -Kiriat Gat   (02.05.19)
So this a long time due ans seems that people involve in defence, military docrtine and strategy are incompetent , with all the gaffes which cost so much lifes and endenger in long term by allowing building of terror capability.
What all the comitties in Knesset and Defence Ministery PERFORMANCE? Each Defence Minister on entrance to position declaration seemly as lion after a while performance with 90% politics and 10 % military needs as a cat???
8. it is not the public fear, it is those of politicians
james   (02.05.19)
the public in 2006 and in each of Gaza's wars took the missile hits with resilience telling the commanders to do the bloody job. the politicians are 99% to blame for averting full battle. First netanyahu who has undue fear of major battles possibly due to his almost drowning in the Suez, did almost nothing, second. lapid voted with gantz not to pursue major action against hamas. and olmert of course who was afraid of one drop of blood-a born coward. just like picking a good surgeon, israelis have picked poor generals first halutz and then gantz, one out of the loop,and the other who believed tunnels were no big deal. his idea of taking on hamas was to run to an early ceasefire before the tunnels were hit.

of course one has to protect the soldiers as much as possible by not handicapping them with restrictive rules of engagement which has led to some Israeli casualties.and the attack plan has to be creative and brutal.

the public would be very wise to review gantz's war record before installing him as pm. You will be very sorry to see hamastan on the west bank with rockets hitting ben gurion airport. what are you going to do then?.

vote for bennett, feiglin and galant.
9. The safety of our sons
Bar Star ,   Jerusalem   (02.05.19)
who are sent to battle should be absolutely the top priority for the generals. Gantz, Golan and Eisenkot boasted that they sacrificed our soldiers for the safety of the enemy civilian population in the name of morality. This makes parents of soldiers sick. Such behavior is both immoral and criminally stupid. The example of morality is what British Air Force did to Dresden during WWII.
10. MEDIA FEAR MONGERING AS USUSL TO MAKE A FEW MORE BUCKS
Iranian Jew ,   LALA LAND   (02.05.19)
Iran or any Muslaim nation will not attack Israel or will not have a real war with Israel. If they start the war ten they will have to finish it, and if they do, then that would be the end of money making off of jihad biz. Tbhe millabhs had to get help from 4 counties to sort of defeat ISIS. Which is not defeated by all means. The mullahs now are stuck. The only support they have is form the poor illiterate outside of the big cities and of course, the paid Afghanis that have no choice for survival, but die for a promise of money. Even that is drying up.
11. The comments here are generally awesome!
American Kravnik ,   Safed Guy's House   (02.05.19)
Well done everyone. The generals are AWOL, beholden to the political elites and Israel's political elites are in bed with the EU and American government. The West is in decline and clueless, beholden to moral relativism and post modern cluelessness. Ignore them and do your job or their won't be an Israel.
12. GET REAL
CAPTAIN REALITY ,   SAFED HONESTY   (02.05.19)
There is no such thing as a conflict without sustaining losses and casualties.This is ,of course, tragic but that is the reality ,an often brutal reality. Which is why Israel must maintain its strength and deterrence and try to avoid and delay war ,but if G-d forbid there is conflict ,losses will inevitably occur.
13. IDF PROTECTING THE PEOPLE ?
MR CYNIC ,   SAFED CYNIC HOUSE   (02.05.19)
Will the IDF protect the civilian population ? or will the civilian population protect the IDF ?
14. Censorship shaming.
PermReader   (02.05.19)
You ban my comments out of leftist fear, and publish the moronic ones. Shame!
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