Barak: Soldiers' political protest harms IDF, Israel

It is easy for the settlers and their supporters to say they should stay where they are. After all, in the end, the bill is paid by the USA. The USA should stop its welfare to Israel. If the settlements can stand on there own without USA support, let them stay, but we all know, without welfare from the USA they would not be there. Settlements are seen by non-Israel Jews as a hindrance to peace. Get over it and get out.

'Israel, regardless of Mr. Baraks sudden discovery of the consequences, shall have to reap the consequences of sowing the whirlwind" Unfortunately, it is the Palestinians who are reaping the consequences of Israel's colonization scheme...

The issue of army discipline is an essential part of the issues in the goldstone report.

Army discipline falls apart--this is usually a failure of military command. And when this happens in a militarized state such as Israel, it signals a future of coups, countercoups, and other political strategies usually found in failed states scattered throughout the 3rd world. _steve Very appropriate. However, I doubt that there could ever be a coup in Israel. The IDF is sometimes described as an army with a country. But most Israelis have weapons and are too strong willed to allow that to succeed if attempted. I worked in South America as a military contractor for a few years, primarily in Peru. One characteristic I observed was a high position in the army/navy or air force, can lead to a position in government. That is one attribute that is common in banana republics. A career in the military provided an alternative career path when leaving the military. I noted that these high military people usually came from prominent families of privilege. Hence, they received preferential treatment in entrance to military academies, training, assignments and promotion. I believe that some superficial comparison can be made but I do not believe they could ever lead to a coup in Israel. However, the situation leads to an insular leadership that lacks an outside devoid of anything but a military solution. That is what we have seen since Israel?s creation.

The settlers did not just happen. Nor have they come to believe that they are exempt from all the laws of Israel and the regulations of the IDF without encouragement. Rather they and their supporters are nothing but what they have been taught by the government of Israel. They do nothing but what they have been taught they have a right to do. Mr. Barak might now have reservations about the results of his instruction and and benevolence. Israel chose to support with welfare and advantage the population of Judea and Sumaria with religious fanatics. Israel, regardless of Mr. Baraks sudden discovery of the consequences, shall have to reap the consequences of sowing the whirlwind. Those who Barak now protests, are those he chose to nurture. Israel has sown cancer and shale suffer the consequences of that malignancy. The Settlers are the welfare children of Israel. You get what you pay for Mr. Barak. You are a whiner, something which objects to what he bred and nurtured.

when according to internal idf statistics, OVER one third of the idf's soldiers and officers would refuse orders to evacuate settlements if israel reaches a peace agreement(and if you think about it, the actual number is probably closer to one half). all the proud cheering on of these insubordinates by right wing zionists doesn't change the fact that a nation's military isn't just about protecting against threat, it's ALSO about carrying out national policy, which includes peace agreements and the terms within them. barak, your idf is infected, and the infection is bound to spread. israel's going to get bitten in the ass from it one of these days.

When will Israel realize that the settlers are the greatest threat to the security and international standing of Israel? They're using young IDF to rend tears in the fabric of military discipline while simultaneously making most of the world oppose Israel, making the fitness of that military critical. Give up the settlements, give up the occupation and Israelis will again be accepted as part of the international community. Sure, some countries and people will always hate Israel, but they're the minority. As long as the occupation and colonization continues, Israel will be a pariah state. Are they really worth it????

express their mind even through protests , posters , bill boards , ot gun . Defense Minister Ehud Barak Should have expressed his mind against Arabs with the blue ID that didn't protests against arabpals firing rockets at jewish Israelis Zionists civilians residents of South Israel , before , during and after Barak counter terrorism Cast Lead operation . We all know that the IDF is under the political authority but so should be ,under the political authority ,the so called 12th grade protesters that call Israel , all sort of bad names and yet face no consequences for expressing their infected mind , whether traveling outside our only state and in our homeland to protest against IDF etc... and for wich the medias portays them as heroes . Our IDF soldiers have the constitutional right to protest against expelling jewish Israelis Zionists civilians residents from their homeland . If the political authorities find IDF soldiers as law breakers then the political authorities are on the wrong side . their must be a ethic , moral law that say to not corrupt your progeniture

This is absolutely a slippery slope for the vaunted IDF. These are the same type of soldier's who had total disregard for civilians in Gaza. Never thought I'd see the professional IDF come to this.

And so does your lavish irrational spending using taxpayers money harm Israel .

military servicee, poor dear. A soldier must obey all lawful orders handed down by his superiors, full stop. Anything else is a recipe for chaos and disintegration on the battlefield, it can only lead to squaddies debating every order and the whole show unravelling. No serving soldier has any right whatsoever to involve themselves in politics either, they are part of a politically neutral army whose sole task is to serve the nation, not some political faction. The moment you allow politics onto the barrack square, you are en route to a Bolshevik/Brownshirt revolution or civil war. The day before they join the army and the day after they leave, they can pursue whatever politics they like. In between, nope. The IDF did the right thing in punishing and drumming out the two culprits. They got a light sentence, it would normally be 6 months for disgracing the uniform and regt. B____y settlers, what a law unto themselves they are. And the fanatical families cheering them on, God help us

Army discipline falls apart--this is usually a failure of military command. And when this happens in a militarized state such as Israel, it signals a future of coups, countercoups, and other political strategies usually found in failed states scattered throughout the 3rd world.

That's beside the point. The question is "is he right"? We are speaking about an actual fact, not judging the objectivity of Barak or his obligation to react to everything

and so are the soldiers who support them.

Or any acts done by the far left soldiers?