Open letter to MK Tali Gottlieb.
"In the name of all names, why? Why is the IDF Spokesperson issuing such a sad and tragic announcement at this time about the accidental killing of three abductees? How does this strengthen IDF soldiers? What purpose does it serve? No goal, but the cessation of hostilities soon long before it needs to end. Terrible!"
This is a tweet you posted last Friday night on X (formerly Twitter), referring to the announcement by IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari, according to which an IDF force accidentally killed the abductees Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samer Tlalka. The IDF also announced, after an investigation that the chief of staff personally accompanied, that the force had acted in violation of the open-fire regulations.
You also went further during a speech she gave in the Knesset: "I ask myself, I grab my head. On Saturday night, the chief of staff stands up and says: 'It was contrary to the open-fire regulations.' Mr. Chief of Staff, I couldn't believe it. It's madness. To talk like that about our soldiers in the field?"
In my opinion, admitting a mistake is not evidence of weakness at all – on the contrary, it symbolizes strength and integrity, and even inspires hope in the midst of the daily disasters that befall us, which have not yet completely lost democratic principles in the State of Israel. Transparency and accountability are not an option, but an obligation. They are the oxygen that enables our continued existence, and this obligation also requires difficult decisions, such as admitting a mistake, even in operationally complex times.
Probably just like you, those terrible messages broke me with pain. There is not a single person in the State of Israel who has not been shattered by the catastrophic mistake. But unlike you, after the initial shock and pain, I drew strength from the professionalism and strength shown by the IDF in admitting its mistake.
Contrary to your claim, MK Gottlieb, concealing the truth would not have strengthened the soldiers in the field, nor would the people or national morale. Concealment and lies undermine the trust we so desperately need in this troubled time.
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Like you, I feel that the deaths of Alon, Yotam and Summer are one of the most painful truths we have to face. There's not a moment when I don't think about their loved ones. I read every detail about them. However, it is clear to me that there is nothing more important than preserving the truth, especially now.
Without the truth, there is no possibility of trust between the government and the army and the public. I am sure that you, like me, are witness to the trust that was broken over time, even before the war, and understand the catastrophe that the lack of trust between citizens and the government brings upon all of us.
Adding lies and concealment will not preserve national unity. History has proven time and time again that lying leads to suspicion, division and a divided society. Lying to the public is the exact opposite of respecting it, no matter how shocking the truth.
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You claimed that admitting the details of the case would weaken the soldiers and the army, and make a mockery of us in the international arena, but the opposite is true. I served as an education and knowledge officer in the IDF, I still keep the cards of IDF values, which I decorated with colorful markers as befits a nerdy and enthusiastic education NCO. I taught combat heritage and values application lessons to the infantry soldiers of the Nahal Brigade, and in my role as Shivta's education officer, I instructed NCOs to teach the artillery soldiers the IDF's values.
That was a long time ago, but the IDF's basic values, at least officially, remain the same: the first two values are adherence to the mission and responsibility, defined as the duty to "bear the responsibility of the soldier for the results of his actions." The third value, immediately after adherence to the task and responsibility, is reliability. I quote: "The soldier will present things as they are, completely and accurately, in planning, execution and reporting, and will act so that his comrades and commanders can trust him in carrying out the missions."
It is no coincidence that the value "reliability" appears high on the scale, even before "personal example" and before "professionalism" and "discipline." Anyone who has served in the IDF knows that "Fuck in Reliability" destroys the fighting spirit and professionalism, and that no other value can exist without it. In every meeting with commanders, they always asked the education staff to emphasize reliability in the lesson plans.
I'm sure that not only I, but also all those who have gone through an IDF officers' course (until when is October 1996?) have an anecdote about the time we screwed ourselves up going home because of a self-report of a mistake. But all cadets also know that if they discover that they hid a mistake, they fly out of the course without questions.
Integrity is more important than propaganda, Illustration: Paula Rosenberg, done with the help of artificial intelligence in DALL*E software
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During the officers' course, I left the room for the morning parade, reached the staircase and discovered that I had forgotten the weapon in the room. I remembered 20 seconds later, when I was still four meters away, and no one was paying attention. I ran amok into the room, picked up the long M-16, flew to the parade ground, went to headquarters and reported that I had abandoned a weapon. I was kidnapped Shabbat, 21 days at the base just as my friend was returning from abroad. Needless to say, this is a ridiculous inconvenience, which cannot be compared to one of the worst disasters that ever happened in the IDF, but I hope the metaphor is clear.
The military leadership demands credibility without exception. Not just for the sake of the value itself, but out of the deep understanding that without credibility the army cannot survive. And not just for the military – historically, no institution, organization or country survived in the long run when lying became the norm. Your criticism of the IDF's transparency attests to a distorted perception of the concept of "force." That is, according to you, power requires hiding mistakes and shortcomings. But when I served in the army and was given the responsibility to teach IDF values, we learned and taught that a true military leader has the courage to confront his mistakes and learn from them. That's the only way to build true resilience.
In your words, you claimed that it also puts us in a weak and ridiculous light in the eyes of the world, and here I feel the need to invite you for a cup of coffee and share with you the exhausting struggles I am part of. In order to promote Israeli advocacy since October 7, I have been attending briefings for foreign journalists, meetings of representatives of the Foreign Ministry, all in order to try to shatter the misconception of hasbara, according to which we must report only on victories and conquests. The path to international support is responsible and transparent. It can only improve our reputation, and I tell you this from daily conversations with people you call the "international arena."
Dear Tali, those who think that we should not doubt or criticize the army or the government in times of conflict are no longer patriots, because true patriotism involves a commitment to improving the country, and there is no improvement without criticism. Blind loyalty, especially in times of war, leads to a dangerous path of accountability.
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I will write to you, in conclusion, that I am sorry for the impolite responses of some of those who respond to you, but I recognize their deep concern about the loss of the basic truth, about the attempt to delegitimize those who try to think critically about the actions of the government. Those who advocate integrity and the admission of mistakes do not care less about our brave soldiers, but rather they believe that acknowledging mistakes does not diminish their value, and that integrity is more important than propaganda.
Robust systems of accountability and oversight are not "madness," but essential components of a healthy democracy. They prevent abuse of power and ensure that the military operates in accordance with the country's values and legal standards.
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