November 26, 2022
To Win and Maintain Our Humanity
A Letter by the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi
A Letter by the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Aviv Kohavi
Commanders and soldiers,
The IDF fulfills its mission as the Israel Defense Forces every day and prevents many terrorist attacks by operating military personnel in a professional and ethical manner. The units of the IDF operating in Operation "Break the Wave" are worthy of all gratitude, particularly due to the complex challenges they face, the foremost among them conducting operational activity in densely populated areas.
Unfortunately, unlike the use of force customary to the IDF, which is carried out in a professional, legal and ethical manner, several cases of violent and unjustified use of force have occurred recently, including this past weekend. These incidents included severe verbal and physical violence toward both Israelis and Palestinians.
The IDF does not operate with violence. IDF soldiers are permitted to use force in accordance with defined principles and rules, and they have the authorities and tools required to do so. That said, they are strictly prohibited from using force when unnecessary: when it is not necessary to carry out the mission, when it is not necessary for self defense, and certainly not because of a loss of temper or to take revenge. Any incident of this sort is severe, wrong, unethical and unlawful.
Incidents such as these tarnish the name of the unit in which the soldier serves, the name of the IDF and the name of the State of Israel. I am aware of the complicated reality in which you operate and the challenges you are faced with. It is truly complex, but properly balancing the operation of force and the restraint of force is part of the professionalism and set of values expected of a soldier and a commander. The vast majority of IDF soldiers do not behave this way; on the contrary, abnormal behavior such as this requires denunciation and severe punishment.
At the end of last week, we also witnessed an IDF soldier who did not only act in opposition to the IDF’s values and speak profanely toward civilians, but also expressed himself politically and impaired the value of "stateliness." The IDF is a "people’s army," which has no room for expressing political views or taking actions that derive from political considerations.
The value of "stateliness," which was defined and established recently as part of the "Spirit of the IDF," states: "The IDF is a ‘people’s army,’ a stately army, subject to the law and the Israeli government. IDF soldiers will act when only the mission, IDF values and national security are before them, and they will do so with integrity, matter-of-factness and representativeness." IDF soldiers are prohibited from expressing political views either directly or periphrastically, and they are certainly prohibited from behaving and acting out of political inclination.
The values of the IDF and the orders of its commanders are what dictate the unit’s missions, its methods of operation, the behavior of its soldiers and its character. The responsibility for the professional and ethical level of the unit rests with the IDF’s commanders. The face of the unit is the face of its commanders, and they must be present in complex and influential areas.
The IDF derives its strength from being a professional and mission-oriented, moral and stately military. The tasks before us are many. IDF units operate both professionally and ethically, and it is our duty to uproot any expression of unethical or unstately behavior that fails to represent this principle. We have many tasks, and we must continue to fight: fight the enemy and fight for our image—to fight and maintain our humanity, to win and maintain our humanity.
The IDF fulfills its mission as the Israel Defense Forces every day and prevents many terrorist attacks by operating military personnel in a professional and ethical manner. The units of the IDF operating in Operation "Break the Wave" are worthy of all gratitude, particularly due to the complex challenges they face, the foremost among them conducting operational activity in densely populated areas.
Unfortunately, unlike the use of force customary to the IDF, which is carried out in a professional, legal and ethical manner, several cases of violent and unjustified use of force have occurred recently, including this past weekend. These incidents included severe verbal and physical violence toward both Israelis and Palestinians.
The IDF does not operate with violence. IDF soldiers are permitted to use force in accordance with defined principles and rules, and they have the authorities and tools required to do so. That said, they are strictly prohibited from using force when unnecessary: when it is not necessary to carry out the mission, when it is not necessary for self defense, and certainly not because of a loss of temper or to take revenge. Any incident of this sort is severe, wrong, unethical and unlawful.
Incidents such as these tarnish the name of the unit in which the soldier serves, the name of the IDF and the name of the State of Israel. I am aware of the complicated reality in which you operate and the challenges you are faced with. It is truly complex, but properly balancing the operation of force and the restraint of force is part of the professionalism and set of values expected of a soldier and a commander. The vast majority of IDF soldiers do not behave this way; on the contrary, abnormal behavior such as this requires denunciation and severe punishment.
At the end of last week, we also witnessed an IDF soldier who did not only act in opposition to the IDF’s values and speak profanely toward civilians, but also expressed himself politically and impaired the value of "stateliness." The IDF is a "people’s army," which has no room for expressing political views or taking actions that derive from political considerations.
The value of "stateliness," which was defined and established recently as part of the "Spirit of the IDF," states: "The IDF is a ‘people’s army,’ a stately army, subject to the law and the Israeli government. IDF soldiers will act when only the mission, IDF values and national security are before them, and they will do so with integrity, matter-of-factness and representativeness." IDF soldiers are prohibited from expressing political views either directly or periphrastically, and they are certainly prohibited from behaving and acting out of political inclination.
The values of the IDF and the orders of its commanders are what dictate the unit’s missions, its methods of operation, the behavior of its soldiers and its character. The responsibility for the professional and ethical level of the unit rests with the IDF’s commanders. The face of the unit is the face of its commanders, and they must be present in complex and influential areas.
The IDF derives its strength from being a professional and mission-oriented, moral and stately military. The tasks before us are many. IDF units operate both professionally and ethically, and it is our duty to uproot any expression of unethical or unstately behavior that fails to represent this principle. We have many tasks, and we must continue to fight: fight the enemy and fight for our image—to fight and maintain our humanity, to win and maintain our humanity.
 |  |  |  |  |  |