IDF says no to Ben-Gvir's National Guard, warns it could undermine military

The IDF vehemently opposes National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's proposal to establish a National Guard, which is expected to be approved by the government soon.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi warned that it may undermine the IDF's ability to carry out missions during wartime. 

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also strongly opposes Ben-Gvir's National Guard and demands further discussions before the government approves the decision.

Why is Ben-Gvir pushing for an Israeli National Guard?

Ben-Gvir is pushing for the government's approval of the National Guard proposal, one of his flagship projects at the National Security Ministry.

Contrary to his original plans, the National Guard would be subordinate to the Israel Police commissioner, not the minister. However, the proposal still includes changes to the security system, such as increasing personnel allocated to the home front from the IDF and reserves.

Ben-Gvir's proposal also includes the establishment of an additional inter-ministerial team, led by the director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, to discuss the transfer of the Home Front Command to the National Security Ministry and the transfer of authority for National Guard conscription from the defense minister to the national security minister.

This is in contrast to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's previous instruction to establish a team, headed by the IDF chief of staff, to address the issue urgently during wartime, considering the strong opposition from the IDF and the defense minister to the proposed changes.

According to a letter from the head of the Home Front Command to Ben-Gvir's chief of staff, the security establishment opposes Ben-Gvir's proposal, which includes allocating troops from the IDF to the National Guard, granting reservist recruitment authority to the National Security Ministry, and transferring command of the home front from the IDF.

The IDF's position, as stated in the letter, warned that Ben-Gvir's proposal would weaken forces in the Nahal Brigade and impact the IDF's capabilities in preparing for conflicts in the North and multiple theaters. Halevi insisted that any decision regarding military structure be made with the IDF's consent.

Defense Minister Gallant argued that Ben-Gvir's proposal includes many issues not previously discussed, such as the command status of the home front and strengthening intelligence reserves in the Southern Command/National Guard. The letter stated, "We also oppose any proposed measure that cannot be implemented due to the IDF's needs in terms of human resources and the reservist system, which have only strengthened since the war."

It emphasized that if Ben-Gvir believes it is necessary to add additional manpower to the IDF/National Guard, it should be done from his own sources.

The letter also stated that the security establishment consistently maintains that the Home Front Command is an integral part of the IDF and there are no intentions to change its status or transfer it to another entity.