Exposure | The IDF's New Discipline Document
The IDF is formulating a new foundational document following a dramatic decline in soldier discipline after nearly three years of fighting and ahead of the elections. The Chief of Staff clarified that he will not allow politics to enter the military. The document is expected to redefine values and orders, and will be distributed to commanders in the coming weeks.
The IDF has identified a dramatic decline in the level of discipline among soldiers in the field, after nearly three years of continuous fighting and ahead of the elections. As a result, and under the directive of the Chief of Staff, the IDF has begun in recent weeks to formulate an official "foundational document" aimed at redefining and sharpening the values and orders in the military, alongside an unequivocal clarification of what is permitted and what is forbidden. The document is also expected to address sensitive issues concerning stateliness in the IDF, especially against the backdrop of the approaching elections. The Chief of Staff has clarified several times recently that he will not allow politics to enter the ranks. The document is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks and distributed to all commanders in the military. The trend of loosening discipline is reflected in contempt for military orders and value-based problems, some of which have been published in the media. Among the incidents: a soldier who wore a "Messiah" patch was sent to 30 days of confinement; a soldier who was recorded putting a cigarette into the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon; and a soldier who smashed a statue of Jesus was removed from combat and sent to 30 days of confinement.