Daily Alert Archives

Pride and Dissent in the Israeli Military

(Institute for Contemporary Affairs/Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Brig.-Gen. Gershon HaCohen - As a commander of IDF combat units, I have never met with even one incidence of refusal to obey orders or lack of motivation. The main problem is sometimes exactly the opposite - my troops suffer from overmotivation. Today, regular units do not devote the same amount of time to training as they did five or ten years ago. They are too busy getting experience in the Gaza Strip and in Judea and Samaria on daily missions. However, when tested in battalion exercises, they achieve the same results as when they were training for longer. The challenges of being involved in a very dramatic and very intensive routine of engagements create an esprit de corps atmosphere and a feeling in the military units that they are relevant, and that they are succeeding in every engagement. One of the main achievements of Operation Defensive Shield was within the consciousness of Israeli society. The basic achievements in the toughest venues - the refugee camps - were carried out by reservist infantry brigades, confirming the continuing cohesiveness of Israeli society - that we can still succeed in carrying out this kind of operation with victory. While only one in ten serves as a reservist combat soldier, these 10% are carefully selected, which creates a sense of being in the elite of society.
2004-07-14 00:00:00
Full Article