Israel's leadership is failing IDF soldiers - opinion

It was petty politics at its worst.

On Wednesday, a law proposed by Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff and MK with the National Unity Party, was brought to the Knesset for a vote. The law sought to provide full state funding for university studies for IDF combat veterans.

It should have been a simple law to pass. For the last 14 months, soldiers have been fighting on multiple fronts, enduring an unprecedented strain not seen before in the IDF. Offering them free university studies – with 100 percent of tuition covered for combat soldiers and 70 percent for non-combat soldiers – is a small but meaningful way to show gratitude for their sacrifices.

Moreover, it sends a message at a time when the ultra-Orthodox continue to evade the draft: Those who serve will be rewarded.

“This vote is a test,” Eisenkot declared from the podium as he introduced the bill. “It is a test of our gratitude to the soldiers and fighters of the IDF.”

Failing Israel's soldiers

Unfortunately, the coalition failed that test. Fifty-five members of the government – from Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, the Religious Zionist Party, and Otzma Yehudit – voted against the law. This decision denied IDF soldiers, not just financial assistance but also the recognition they deserve for their service and sacrifices.

The vote was more than a political failure. It was a deeply personal affront to Eisenkot, who has borne immeasurable loss in this war. On Sunday, his nephew, Capt. Yogev Pazy, was killed in Gaza. Pazy’s death marked the third devastating blow to Eisenkot’s family during this conflict. In December, another nephew, Sgt. Maor Cohen Eisenkot, was killed in Gaza his son, just one day after his Eisenkot’s son, St.-Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Gal Eisenkot, was killed there.

Did these tragedies soften the hearts of coalition members? Apparently not. Eisenkot, along with the families of over 800 soldiers killed since October 7, 2023, continues to carry the unbearable burden of loss while the lawmakers responsible for this vote remain unmoved.

What does the Knesset’s decision tell the men and women who are losing comrades in battles against Hamas and Hezbollah? How does it resonate with those who continue to serve despite their injuries and the trauma out of a determination to protect the nation? For the soldiers currently risking their lives in Gaza and Lebanon, the Knesset’s decision sends a chilling message.

SINCE THE war’s outset, the government – particularly the Knesset – has shown a disturbing lack of appreciation for the sacrifices made by soldiers, especially reservists. Instead of focusing on ways to end the war or support those bearing its brunt, lawmakers have prioritized self-serving legislation. On Wednesday, for example, a Likud lawmaker proposed a bill aimed at shielding the government from scrutiny for the catastrophic failures that led to the October 7 Hamas massacre.

The ongoing war has already claimed over 800 soldiers’ lives and left thousands of reservists serving months on end. The IDF faces a shortfall of more than 10,000 soldiers, yet the Knesset remains paralyzed on this critical issue. Instead of addressing the gap in manpower by drafting the over 50,000 ultra-Orthodox men of eligible age, the Knesset is focused on exempting them.

The indifference extends beyond the Knesset. It is mirrored in the IDF leadership, where serious lapses in judgment and accountability continue to endanger IDF soldiers.

Consider the tragic death of 20-year-old Gur Kehati, a Golani Brigade soldier, who was killed on Wednesday while protecting a private tour that his commanders had decided to give a civilian in Lebanon. Ze’ev Erlich, a 71-year-old scholar, was being escorted to examine an ancient fortress, and he, too, was killed in the incident. A senior officer sustained injuries as well.

The circumstances surrounding Kehati’s death raise urgent questions. Why are IDF commanders organizing personal tours into Lebanon? Shockingly, this was not an isolated incident. Politicians and civilians have also been taken across the border, reportedly without proper authorization. Earlier this month, the head of the Northern Command suffered injuries when his jeep flipped over – allegedly because he wasn’t wearing a helmet.

These examples point to a broader cultural issue within the IDF: a lack of discipline and oversight. This problem manifests from unauthorized excursions into Lebanon and Gaza to soldiers who post videos of bombings on social media. These actions not only harm the IDF’s operational integrity but also undermine public trust.

The root of these issues lies in a systemic failure of accountability at the highest levels of the IDF. The military’s top brass has yet to take responsibility for the intelligence and operational failures that led to October 7. While soldiers and reservists continue to pay the price, the leadership remains unscathed.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR these failures does not rest solely on IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the architect of Israel’s broader strategy and bears significant culpability. Still, the IDF’s leadership must answer for its role in the disaster.

It is worth reading the remarks that Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asur, the outgoing head of the IDF Manpower Directorate, delivered during his change-of-command ceremony on Monday. In a stinging rebuke of the military’s top leadership, Asur accused the IDF of lacking transparency and accountability.

“For over 400 days, we have been working to restore the people’s trust,” Asur said. “Above all, trust is based on successes on the battlefield, but also on the leadership being held accountable for their actions. This means conducting incisive investigations, examining failures in-depth, deriving lessons, and applying them.”

Tellingly, Asur’s remarks were omitted from the official readout provided by IDF Spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari. The omission was no oversight. It reflected a deliberate attempt to suppress criticism of Halevi and the broader leadership, who have promoted a culture of homogeneity within the IDF’s top ranks.

Asur’s comments alluded to this issue, warning against the dangers of “excessive homogeneity” within the IDF leadership. Many of the military’s top generals hail from the Paratroopers Brigade, the same background as Halevi. Asur argued that this uniformity fosters “mental fixation” and “tunnel thinking,” which contributed to the failures leading up to October 7.

Halevi’s leadership decisions further underscore these concerns. Asur himself was forced into early retirement after being denied a regional command, reportedly due to clashes with Halevi. Meanwhile, other senior officers implicated in the October 7 failures – such as Major Generals Yaron Finkelman, Oded Basiuk, and Shlomi Binder – have retained or even been promoted within the IDF.

For soldiers, the parallels between the Knesset’s betrayal and the IDF leadership’s failures are glaring. Just as they look to lawmakers for support and see indifference, they also look to their commanders and find a lack of accountability.

What lessons does this impart to the young officers and soldiers on the front lines? How do they shape the culture and effectiveness of the IDF in the long term? These are the questions we must grapple with – and demand answers to.

The writer is a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute and a former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.