In the wake of the command failures during the Second Lebanon War, a special probe commissioned by a Knesset committee recommended Tuesday that the Israel Defense Forces opens an academic institute dedicated to security and military studies.

Senior officers should be required to attend the establishment that will award academic degrees for military studies and war management, the probe recommended in its report to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

"The academic world has not developed a war management field of studies. The military degree system has been proven irrelevant to the training of senior officers," IDF reserve brigadier general and MK Effi Eitam (National Union), who headed the probe, said.

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Eitam added that he will push for legislation to ensure the creation of the institute and that the IDF will be responsible for its curriculum and research.

"A black hole of knowledge in the top brass opened up [during the war]," Eitam said. "A division commanders' training course has not been held in years."