Gadi Eizenkot

An Israeli Border Police officer points his weapon at journalists and Palestinian paramedics during clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters in north Ramallah, near the Beit El checkpoint, occupied West Bank, December 22, 2017. (Oren Ziv/Activestills)

The rebellion of Israel’s second army

Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi hands over to his successor a ‘policing army’ that is more autonomous, settler-led, and lethal than ever.

By Yagil Levy December 26, 2022

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak change the epaulets of Israeli Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, February 14, 2011. (Abir Sultan/Flash90)

Why are Israeli generals such terrible politicians?

The popular myth that army generals have the skills to excel in politics will continue so long as Israeli society idealizes the military and masculinity.

By Noa Balf December 11, 2020

Israeli tanks standing on the Israel-Gaza border while smoke billows from Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, January 14, 2009. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

10 years since ‘Cast Lead’: How Israel first declared total war on Gaza

The firepower, scale of destruction, and numbers of Palestinians killed during Operation Cast Lead were unprecedented in the brutal history of the conflict. Since then, the tactics used have become part of the IDF’s arsenal in its wars on Gaza. By Avihai Stollar Ten years have passed since the Israeli army changed the way it wages war,…

By +972 Magazine February 5, 2019

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The ruins following the 2018 American-led bombing of Homs. (Fathi Nizam/CC BY 4.0)

After Syria strike, showdown looms over the future of the Iran nuclear deal

The success of a coordinated military strike on Assad’s chemical weapon stockpiles actually bodes well for the Iran nuclear deal. By Shemuel Meir Western powers made good on their warning to the Assad regime on April 14, 2018, and attacked the production and storage sites of the chemical weapons in his possession. The coordinated, wide-ranging operation by the United…

By +972 Magazine April 22, 2018

Fadi al Najjar, 24, in his destroyed home in the village of Khuza'a, eastern Gaza Strip, November 7, 2014. Six family members stay in the living room, which is the only room which was not destroyed. Fadi lost all his money and his animals, during the last Israeli assault. He is now contemplating on getting married and lives in the caravan which has been allocated to his father Adnan. Big holes in the walls have been barely covered by pieces of wood and plastic sheet. Many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face hard living conditions following the seven-week Israeli offensive during which 2,131 Palestinians were killed, and an estimate of 18,000 housing units have been either destroyed or severely damaged, leaving more than 108,000 people homeless. (photo: Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

Liberman’s first task: End Gaza’s suffering

If Liberman truly wants to keep Israelis safe, he will to do whatever he can to ensure that Gaza’s residents can lead normal lives. By Noam Rabinovich What will Avigdor Liberman’s first week as defense minister look like? One might imagine he would begin by introducing himself to the staff, getting acquainted with the office,…

By +972 Magazine June 2, 2016

An IDF soldier is seen seconds before shooting a wounded Palestinian man in the head. (Screenshot/B’Tselem)

Israeli public opinion solidly backs Hebron soldier

Only one-fifth of Israelis say the prime minister, defense minister, and the IDF chief of staff did the right thing when they condemned the killing. Fully 68 percent believe otherwise. Based on the condemnations from top levels of the political and defense establishment, it appears that Israelis were actually disturbed by the video of an…

By Dahlia Scheindlin March 28, 2016

Israeli soldiers raid the West Bank city of Hebron on June 17, 2014, as the hunt for three Israeli teenagers believed kidnapped by militants entered its fifth day. Thousands of Israel troops engaged in the search for the youths. Overnight, the army turned its attention during the night to the northern West Bank city of Nablus and surrounding areas, arresting dozens of Palestinians. (Photo: Tess Scheflan/Activestills.org)

Nobody should be shocked at the Hebron execution

When Israeli leaders keep pushing the message that killing Palestinian attackers is a laudable act, is it any wonder that the shooters become our national heroes? WARNING: This post contains a highly graphic video and images. The actions of an Israeli soldier who executed a wounded Palestinian attacker in Hebron on Thursday have been condemned…

By Natasha Soffer-Roth March 26, 2016

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz at the Defense Ministry. (photo: Haim Zach / GPO)

IDF may start viewing Iran nukes as less of a threat

A new document published by the IDF’s chief of staff rebuts Netanyahu’s attempts at consensus-building on the Iran nuclear threat. The so-called Israeli consensus on the Iranian threat took another blow on Thursday after IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot published a new document titled “IDF Strategy.” News on the document was published in Haaretz,…

By Edo Konrad August 15, 2015