IDF chief slams ‘unethical’ conduct by soldiers; cites smashing of Jesus statue, inciteful insignia |
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told senior officers on Monday that the military has seen discipline erode in Israel’s multi-front war over recent years, listing a number of incidents in which Israeli soldiers have behaved in ways that he described as “rebellion” against the army’s values.
Among other issues, he denounced reports of looting, the destruction of a statue of Jesus in Lebanon that prompted international outcry, and the trend of soldiers wearing unauthorized badges and patches bearing religious, messianic, and political messages.
“The unethical incidents we have seen are the product of a long and complex period, but that does not justify them. We must not compromise on our values. The erosion of norms could be no less dangerous than operational threats,” he said, while speaking at a conference of the IDF’s senior command staff.
During the conference, Zamir displayed a picture of a soldier wearing a patch that read “Stop the hatred. It is time for violence,” and asked the participants, “Is this the army you want? If there is even one person who thinks this reflects IDF values, stand up now.”
“This is not a minor incident. This is a rebellion against IDF values,” he said.
Zamir said that the “phenomenon of looting, if it exists, is disgraceful and could stain the entire IDF,” after Haaretz reported last week that there has been widespread looting by Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, where many residents have fled the fighting.
“If such incidents occurred, we will investigate them,” he said, adding that “I am not willing for us to become an army of looters.”
The IDF recently punished soldiers who took part in the smashing of a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, and said it was investigating a video of soldiers damaging solar panels. During his address, Zamir showed a widely circulated picture of the crucifix being smashed.
The statue incident........