Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday evening to reinstate several senior officers who were previously dismissed from the IDF.
"I call on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense to return Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Col. Nochi Mendel, and Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter to active service."
He explained: "They are brilliant and experienced officers, who were dismissed from the IDF not because they failed, but because they dared to think differently and not be held captive to the dangerous misconceptions that led us to the October 7 disaster."
According to Karhi, the current security situation requires a change of direction and a new military leadership: "The IDF needs courageous, offensive and creative leadership now more than ever – no more processes that sanctify the mistakes of the past. The IDF is the spearhead of our national security, not a playground of internal interests or cheap politics."
Yaniv Asur served as head of the IDF Personnel Department, until his retirement last November. Prior to that, he served, among other positions, as head of the Operations Brigade in the Armed Forces, Commander of the Bashan Division, Commander of the Golani Brigade, Commander of the Hiram Brigade and Commander of the Egoz Unit. As stated, last November, he ended his position in the IDF.
Nochi Mendel serves as the head of the Settlement and National Infrastructure Unit in the Ministry of Defense and served in his last position in regular service in the IDF as Deputy Commander of the Gaza Division.
In the Sword of Iron War, Mendel served as the Administrative Commander of the Nahal Brigade, and on October 7th participated in the battle at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom in the Gaza Envelope, blocking the progression of the Hamas terrorists. Last April, he was dismissed from his position by the Chief of Staff following the killing of workers at the World Central Kitchen in Gaza.
Ofer Winter has also served as commander of the 98th "Ha-Esh" Paratroopers Division, military secretary to the Minister of Defense, commander of the Givati Brigade, commander of the Northern Brigade in the Gaza Strip, and more.
On the morning of October 7th, Winter joined the fighters on the frontlines in the area of Kibbutz Be'eri, on his own initiative and participated in the battle there. In May, another round of appointments was held in the IDF, and after Winter was not promoted, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Chief of Staff agreed that he would end his service in the IDF.
5 comments:
People often don't understand that armies have cultures and traditions independent of the country they serve and that often, first loyalty is to the army over the country.
Here's a great example - there were Jewish officers in the Wehrmacht during WW2. They were career officers who had started serving before the Nazis came to power and who were protected and sheltered by their fellow officers because the first loyalties were to Germany as a whole, not necessarily the current German government, and to each other as fellow soldiers. Hitler would come and go but Germany and the Wehrmacht would remain.
It's the same with the Israeli army. Governments comes and go but Israel and the army remain. Add to this the politicial history of the army - founded by the Socialist Zionists and dominated by the Labour Kibbutz movement, the Israeli secular Ashkenazi left (ISAL) really sees the army as its personal property. That's why Dati Leumi officers only rise so high in the ranks. Above a certain level, it's private territory for the ISAL officers.
And the ISAL sees Bibi as a bigger threat to Israel than Hamas. That's the underlying crisis that has to be resolved here.
The old refrain-
Other Countries have an Air Force
IAF has a country
Earlier refrain-
Other Countries have Armed Forces
In Germany, Wermacht has a country
There were no Jewish officers in the Wehrmacht during WW2. It was possible if someone had one Jewish parent and ZERO Jewish identity for him to remain in the German army if the army needed him. There was no way someone with ANY Jewish identity OR two Jewish parents could have remained in the Wehrmacht if they had that knowledge about him
Anonymous 8:57:
There WERE some Jewish officers in the Wehrmacht during WWII. I direct you to the book "Hitler's Jewish Soldiers" by Bryan Mark Rigg [ISBN 0700611789] University Press of Kansas 2002.
The book is filled passim with Jewish soldiers who served, including some officers. Most named in the book were Mischlinge, but full Jews under the Nuremburg include Lieutenant Paul Ludwig (Pinchas) Hirschfeld and Captain Edgar Jacoby.
Lieutenant Paul Ludwig (Pinchas) Hirschfeld and Captain Edgar Jacoby both forged documents claiming they were non-Jewish. The Wermacht did not knowingly allow soldiers with two Jewish parents.
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