The IDF spokesman's statement about what happened in Hebron last weekend, in which a soldier was thrown into a bandage for ten days, raises questions.
The speaker wrote, on behalf of the Chief of Staff: "Every incident of violence... on the part of IDF soldiers is contrary to IDF values..."
sounds strange.
For, if the basis of any military organization is agreed upon is the authority given to it by law to use violence - then it is possible that the current values of the IDF do not allow it to behave like an army.
Or someone in the report releases words without understanding their meaning.
As in any similar event, this time too the discussion of "IDF values" immediately arose, and in the case in question the violation of the value of statehood was mentioned. It seems that someone in the IDF is not sufficiently aware that placing a certain value on its own, without tying it to its members on the list, makes the discussion In it only for the ridiculous.
According to a press release, the Chief of Staff appointed General Yehuda Fox to investigate the incident.
But even before the investigation began, the Chief of Staff hastened to announce that the actions of the soldiers were serious and that he was suspending them from their duties. He even expanded and added when he stated that their actions would be investigated by the Military Intelligence and forwarded to the Military Prosecutor's Office for review.
If we are dealing with all values, it seems that in this case the Chief of Staff acted first of all against the value of credibility - it is also one of the values of the IDF.
After all, he decided on a drastic command action before all the facts had been examined.
Another value that is trampled in this case is the value of leadership: soldiers will not follow commanders who abandon them in times of crisis, even if the soldiers themselves have a part in creating it and even if it turns out that they deserve punishment.
The soldiers arrived in Hebron and took up position because their commanders, who are solely responsible for their military training, ordered them to do so.
Those who wave the flag of the value of leadership should know that the best way to reduce the degree of willingness of his soldiers to follow him, is to leave an arena where some kind of crisis is taking place among them - values, operational, educational or personal.
Instead of calling the commanders of the soldiers at their various levels for an investigation - and if necessary a disciplinary investigation - the Chief of Staff immediately chose to place the responsibility on the soldiers, and only on them, for what happened, as if they were a leaderless mob that came to Hebron on its own accord.
And now, regarding the value of professionalism, which also stars in the list of the IDF's values: a significant part of professionalism is the ability to investigate and draw true lessons. Despite its multitude of advisers, it becomes clear time and again that the IDF demonstrates a chronic lack of professionalism in the field of drawing lessons, in everything related to the use of the media by our enemies .
Already 22 years ago, the organization made a mistake, when it hastily volunteered to blame its soldiers for the alleged shooting of the child Muhammad al-Dura at the Netzer junction.
Someone in the organization should have remembered: first, that here too it is mandatory to find out the facts before drawing conclusions, even if the process takes a little time;
And that this reckless admission will only increase the onslaught of fraudulent films, which today is part of the overall war against him.
Another value mentioned in the IDF spokesman's announcement was the value of human dignity. It is interesting how the Chief of Staff, or his spokesman, gives human dignity the utmost importance only in relation to those who stood in front of the soldiers, while ignoring the basic dignity of the soldiers themselves.
A soldier is first of all a person, and that is how he should be treated, even when he does not behave as expected of him.
No one is perfect, and we are all prone to make mistakes.
It is difficult to understand what motivates the Chief of Staff and his spokesman to cooperate quickly and enthusiastically with those who seek their harm, while humiliating their soldiers.
Where have gone the judgment, the professional examination, the drawing of lessons, and above all the basic courage to say "wait, we're checking", which are always required of every commander, and certainly of the senior IDF? Could it be that here too, the considerations of "likes" and the values of TikTok prevailed over every other consideration? Lectures and discussions Theoreticians about values do not teach the soldiers about the quality of the organization in which they serve.
Only the actions of the commanders can make them better warriors and more worthy people.
Last Friday's case in Hebron was a very bad lesson for them.
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us