Galant is out. Naveh is in, at least temporarily.
It appears my fears of yesterday are being realized regarding the replacement for Yoav Galant as IDF chief of staff. Any sentient person realizes that whoever takes that post will have blood on his hands. And indeed, the new interim candidate is Yair Naveh, an officer with a past equally tainted as Galant’s was. It was Naveh who ordered the assassination of unarmed Palestinian militants, a potential war crime which motivated Anat Kamm to leak documents from his office when she worked there. It was Naveh who, when asked by Blau why he didn’t respect the rulings of the Supreme Court regarding targeted killings said:
“Stop bothering me with the rulings of the Supreme Court. I don’t know when they apply and when they don’t. I do know that targeted killings work and prevent terror attacks. I take my orders from the operations command [and not human rights activists].”
When asked by Blau: “Why do you approve beforehand an attack on an unidentified target [an innocent bystander],’ Naveh answered: ‘These are questions you shouldn’t direct to me. These matters are approved at the level of the prime minister and what is done is done.
This is what will now command Israel’s national army brought up with its mother’s milk to believe in the concept of the “purity of arms.” A laughingstock is what it is I’m sorry to say. Naveh implicitly accepts Blau’s terms by acknowledging that he’s contravened the rulings of the Court by saying that his commanders and prime minister are his ultimate authority and not some puny court. Is this the rule of law? Or the law of the jungle?
It’s a bitter irony that in responding to a Supreme Court appeal against his nomination, again by Yesh Gvul, to be deputy chief of staff, Naveh had this to say (now) about the Supreme Court:
As a citizen and soldier of the State of Israel I feel respect for the High Court, its judges, and decisions. As an IDF commanders, the rulings of the Court are ones that I do not dispute. This is how I conducted myself when I was senior officer of the Central Command, and how I conduct myself now.
Look. What do we expect. Israel’s army and politics, again I’m sorry to say, is a place in which liars, fools, sex fiends, charlatans and thieves rule. That’s why Galant was tripped up. It’s why Yair Naveh can lie through his teeth with a straight face when it suits him.
The Walla report on this story notes that Naveh did not dispute that he uttered these words to Blau, but rather that the reporter ‘misinterpreted’ them, the language of scoundrels everywhere caught out in a lie they seek to take back. He finesses the matter now by saying that he relied on the orders he was given by his superiors presuming that they followed the rulings of the Court. I don’t know about you but I think I’m going to be sick.
I’d almost rather have Moshe Feiglin be chief of staff. At least you know he wouldn’t waste his breath with nonsense like this. He would tell the Court to shove it and dare the Court to take action against him. Then we could have a real test of democracy and see who would win. But with liars and scoundrels like Naveh, democracy and the rule of law don’t stand a chance. The Court laps up what Naveh put before it today and will gladly approve his nomination because it wants to trust him. It doesn’t have the guts to doubt him. That’s the tragedy of Israeli democracy. No one is minding the shop.
And as if we don’t have enough to be disturbed about regarding Naveh, it was he who, as CEO of the Jerusalem light rail project, determined that cars be segregated by gender so as not to offend the sensibilities of the Haredi community. When women’s groups were up in arms, he responded by saying he was honoring the civil rights of the Orthodox community! Clearly, this is a guy with a Teflon mouth capable of talking his way out of almost any embarrassing situation.
Galant said to Galei Zahal’s military radio news: “I am not quitting, I am not stopping. I’ve been defending the State of Israel for 34 years and now it to defend me.” http://bit.ly/dNN8RL
Is he hinting that he wants to have a coup? I don’t see that as viable (although anything is possible and most things are likely in the Middle East right now.)
I don’t know what he could be talking about. The irony is that if he’d been a little less greedy & acquisitive, & a bit less mendacious he’d be the one being sworn in on Feb. 14th. Instead he’ll be looking for security consulting jobs after his retirement.
Bibi’s already withdrawn his candidacy. So not sure what he could be thinking.
I am wondering though whether YeshGvul’s leadership needs security protection. Gotta be a whole lotta hate for thm in certain circles.
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Every possible candidate is a bad choice. Most officers who have been serving in the IDF, at some point served in the territories, executing Israel’s apartheid policies. The only viable candidate can come from outside the army. Alternatively, the IDF should be dismantled and Israel should seek protection from NATO or the US – as the IDF has no moral grounds to exist.
Thanks for that bit of cock-eyed “realism.”
What? Do you disagree?
Yup. A candidate for chief of staff coming fr. outside the IDF? It would be nice if comments stayed within, or at least somewhat close to the realm of reality.
There are candidates from outside the IDF who have substantial military experience. Some belong to Israel’s mossad – whose involvement with the apartheid occupation is very low.
Second, if Amir Peretz can be the defense minister, why is the possibility of a civilian chief of staff so far fetched? It is in Israel’s best interest to choose a candidate who’s not been tainted with the liquor of oppression.
Now I see what u mean. First Peretz was defense minister & a truly awful one. He wasn’t chief of staff. That requires an active duty officer. You can’t have a civilian as chief of staff of an army. But there are some less tainted like Amos Yadlin who are army & might be more independent.
Richard are you serious ?
Yadlin ? Yadlin has no experience relevant to be the COS.
in Israel it’s not a technocrat like in the US, the IDF is structured differently, the defense needs are different and the COS must have hands on experience commanding big maneuvering divisions to correlate between the needs and the abilities.
I didn’t mean him specifically. I was looking for a high level officer who wasn’t implicated in potential war crimes. He is an example of one.
Actually, one thing he said makes sense: “…These matters are approved at the level of the prime minister…”.
I don’t underestimate Naveh’s own responsibility, it’s actually the Gov’t who must be kept accountable for the crimes. Naveh, for this matter is only a link in this chain (high up as he may be) – from the PM, all the way to the private who pressed the button.