IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has a duty to warn the government about draft evasion - editorial

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has broken the general rule for active-duty generals to stay out of politics by warning the Israeli government against legislation that would freeze arrests of ultra-Orthodox (haredi) draft dodgers for seven months. Zamir's letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials argued that the proposed law would make it harder for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to fulfill its missions.

Zamir, who has repeatedly highlighted a critical manpower shortage within the IDF, needing an influx of 12,000 soldiers, stated that the legislation would disincentivize military service by granting immunity from prosecution for draft evasion. He asserted that this move is "fundamentally and unequivocally inconsistent with the operational needs of the IDF." Furthermore, he expressed concern that tasking the military with administering amnesty for draft evasion would create a "deep rupture" with those already serving and deepen the sense of inequality.

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fundamentally and unequivocally inconsistent with the operational needs of the IDF.

The editorial supports Zamir's intervention, framing it as an exception to the rule against generals engaging in politics. It posits that Zamir was not expressing a political preference but rather issuing a crucial warning about the potential impact on the IDF's ability to function. The decision to make the warning public, the editorial suggests, was likely due to a fear that private warnings could be ignored.

The piece emphasizes that while factors like advanced technology and talented officers contribute to the IDF's success, soldier morale and esprit de corps are paramount. The editorial concludes that allowing draft evasion without consequence chips away at this morale, creating a perception among soldiers that they are being taken advantage of while risking their lives for the country.

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Such a move would create a deep rupture with those who have borne the burden of the fighting for the past two and a half years and would deepen the sense of inequality.