Command Crisis: The Givati Mutiny Is the Tip of the Iceberg
In his column, Brig. Gen. (res.) Guy Hazut analyzes the mutiny in the Givati Brigade as a symptom of a deep command crisis in the IDF. He compares it to past mutinies but emphasizes the difference: attrition in the longest war in Israel's history, loss of public support, and the shadow of the October 7 failure. Hazut argues that senior command has lost the courage to lead, and calls for a real revolution, not just foundational documents.
In an opinion column, Brig. Gen. (res.) Guy Hazut, a senior researcher at INSS and former head of the Ground Forces Learning Division, analyzes the recent mutiny in the Givati Brigade. He notes that soldier mutinies are not new to the IDF, citing historical examples: abandoning a post in Lebanon in the 1990s, leaving the Tze'elim base in 2007, and refusing orders in 2012. However, he argues that this time the story is different due to attrition in the longest war in Israel's history, loss of public support, and the complex following the October 7 failure. Hazut mentions a 1945 American study suggesting that units fighting for over 60 days suffer disciplinary deterioration, and that the document was shelved in December 2023. He details three reasons for the loss of courage to command: the shadow of October 7, the equation "love the soldiers – hate the officers," and the inversion of operational experience. He calls for a real revolution, not just foundational documents.