There is no pleasant way to say this, and there is no reason to embellish things: the meaning of the decision to hand over the coordination of operations in the territories and the civil administration to Bezalel Smotrich is the dissolution of state institutions, the loss of statehood, and worst of all - a serious injury to the IDF and an immediate legal and political danger to the State of Israel.
The Civil Administration is a military unit that manages civilian life in the territories of Israel over which Israel has not exercised its sovereignty. By virtue of its role, it is responsible for both Jews and Palestinians, and operates under the authority of the coordinator of government operations in the territories at the Ministry of Defense. The head of the administration is a lieutenant colonel, and the coordinator is a major. who is a member of the IDF General Staff Forum.
The one who appoints the head of the Civil Administration, like the other senior officers in the army, is the Chief of Staff. The appointments do indeed require the approval of the Minister of Defense, but formally he is not allowed to interfere in them, and he certainly cannot impose his opinion. The new agreement changes things, but Selective - while the Minister of Defense continues to act according to the existing orders that guarantee that statehood and professionalism will be maintained in the appointment of officers to ensure that politics will remain outside the IDF, the Minister on behalf of Smotrich who will act "under" the Minister of Defense will act in the opposite way - and will put his people at the heart of the system.
IDF activity in Nablus (archive), photo: IDF spokesman
Even worse, in the army there is only one source of authority: the commander.
The fact that Smotrich will appoint the head of the Civil Administration raises the obvious question: who will command him - the minister or the chief of staff? And who will command his soldiers, who will find themselves serving in a political party and not in a military organization.
This agreement requires changing the orders of the General Staff, and also the Basic Law: The Army, in which it is established that the minister in charge of the army is the Minister of Defense. This is a basic law that was enacted in 1976 as part of the conclusions of the Agrant Committee that investigated the Yom Kippur War, and which has never been changed. And for good reason: it was clear to all Israeli governments - including the five governments that operated under Binyamin Netanyahu - that the army was not defiled by partisan and sectoral activities.
Now, for the first time, a minister who is not the defense minister will be given responsibility for units in the army.
This is a crazy and irresponsible state of affairs.
In the Yash (and also in Gaza) there is no separation between "civilian" and "security". Every decision - construction or demolition, work permits, water distribution, road construction, etc. - has immediate security implications. This is why the coordinator of government operations in the territories sits in the Ministry of Defense and participates In all security situation assessments, this is how he can raise a flag when a military decision could lead to problematic civilian consequences, or vice versa - when a civilian decision he makes will have security consequences.
The opposite of governance
What will happen now is that the two hands in the Ministry of Defense will act out of sync.
One, subordinate to Smotrich, will act according to its own political agendas.
The second, which is subordinate to the Minister of Defense (and through him to the IDF), will act in the name of net security. In unwashed words: the Minister of Defense and the IDF will have to clean up after the minister who will be responsible for the Civil Administration, and to be even less polite - soldiers will bleed for this lack of synchronization and the decisions the politics that will be accepted.
putting the commanders and soldiers at risk.
Ben Gvir and Smotrich in unnecessary battles (archive), photo: Yehuda Peretz
And that's not even the worst.
Maintaining the status quo, where since 1967 the Civil Administration is subordinate to the IDF and responsible to both Jews and Palestinians, also has legal and international logic: this is how Israel can claim that there is no apartheid in the territories, because there is equal law for all. This has stood the test quite a few times (including legally) and has always succeeded , among other things because the legal advice was given on behalf of the chief military attorney and not on behalf of self-interested attorneys motivated by political agendas (a matter that will also be changed as part of the coalition agreement).
Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu // Photo: Amit Shaavi,
Now, a de facto separation will take place: one law for the Jews, another law for the Palestinians.
The meaning is clear, and the bill will be submitted immediately.
Organizations like BDS will celebrate and flourish and Western governments will protest and may also take practical steps, but that's the small trouble: an investigation regarding Israeli settlement in the West Bank is already pending at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the coalition agreement and its implications will play into the hands of the Israel haters and prosecutors. Israel will not even have An appearance to defend against the potential consequences of this move.
Smotrich, like his temporary brother to the list Itamar Ben Gabir, speaks loudly in the name of Israel's security and the need to protect IDF soldiers. But the truth is different: with their irresponsible actions they crush the army and the public's trust in it, damage its ability to provide security, and endanger its commanders and soldiers In unnecessary battles - on the battlefield, and also in the legal field.
Netanyahu, who previously served as defense minister, is well aware of these meanings.
He also knows the diplomatic, secret role of the coordinator of government operations, who is often sent on behalf of the state to speak to the hearts of leaders and influencers in the Arab world (including in countries with which Israel has no relations), and the role of the head of the Civil Administration in maintaining ongoing coordination with the Palestinians, which means saving lives A person.
Netanyahu is also clear about the meaning of the erosion of the powers of the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff, including in the area of appointments (according to the logic currently established, the ultra-Orthodox can demand to appoint the head of the ACA), and especially in the operational area.
In the past, he thwarted similar proposals that came up, in order to maintain the stateliness and businesslikeness of the army.
The fact that he is giving it a hand now bodes ill.
This move is the opposite of governance, and it should be met with a clear call from everyone who values Israel's security and its existence: take your hands off the IDF.
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