Israeli forces appear to have grown frustrated with the prime minister’s unattainable war goals. And the result is an ugly public spat.
Analysts say the gulf between Israeli politicians and military leaders has widened in the last decade, with the differences hitting a new peak five years ago when retired senior officers of the Israeli forces established a new political party. Photo: Reutersa “tactical pause” in the southern city of Rafah to ostensibly help deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza—a decision the Israeli forces apparently made without informing the prime minister.
“The debate in the Israeli elite about a possible deal with Hamas to free the hostages is not a clear cut civil-military divide, as some ministers seem to be on the same page as the defence establishment,” Dr Ehud Eiran, associate professor of international relations at Israel’s University of Haifa, tells
The military always abides by the chain of command and ultimately accepts the directive of the elected leaders, he says.The relations between the two sides appeared to be on the mend right after the October 7 incursion by Hamas. Retired general-turned-politician Benny Gantz joined the war cabinet of his chief political rival as minister without portfolio, along with four other members of his party.
In other words, Hamas is likely to exist as an “idea” despite Israel razing nearly all of Gaza to the ground. Even though there’ve been some examples of a difference of opinion, she says the Israeli military has always “fully endorsed” all operational and strategic decisions. “The classical security doctrine says that the Arab-Israeli conflict is existential and protracted, that the hostility of Arab states towards Israel is fundamental, and that Israel cannot do anything to change it other than displaying its military strength. Thus, the traditional attitude has been a mix of military engagement and acknowledging some ‘ideas’ or ‘ideologies’”, she says.
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