Ashkenazi: I have zero tolerance for abuse in IDF ranks

IDF Chief of Staff speaks at Command and Staff College graduation ceremony, tells officers recent abuse cases do not reflect military norms, IDF will eradicate phenomenon

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3761186,00.html

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"IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gabi Ashkenazi spoke before Command and Staff College graduated Wednesday and said that the recent abuse cases found within military ranks were "highly unusual… they represent a moral and command failure and I have zero tolerance for it."

The commander in chief told the officers that he expected them to pay attention to any report of abuse, anywhere in the armed forces "and encourage their exposure, even if it hurts us, so we would be able to locate the problem and treat it, but most importantly – to prevent it.

"Over the past few weeks," he continued, "We have learned of several cases in which soldiers mistreated their comrades. These abnormal events included verbal and physical abuse, as well as abuse of authority. These case are being investigated both on the legal and command levels and we are adamant to see them trough.

"These cases do not reflect military norms, but nevertheless they require us to investigate and study them in full, from every aspect, so we may eradicate this kind of criminal behavior."


Morality's chief of staff - Gideon Levy

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"Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi is a moral and ethical paragon who stands atop an organization that is no less moral or ethical. Last week, he broke his silence and proved his acute sensitivity to matters of conscience: "We have not one gram of tolerance," the chief of staff said in a loud and clear voice, referring to those who had hazed soldiers. "We ought to view this incident as a reminder of the high ethical threshold expected of us," he said in a clear and crisp voice, referring to the affair involving Brig. Gen. Imad Fares.

However, on the same day the chief of staff - who brags of his "high ethical threshold" - made his statements, a report commissioned by U.S.-based Human Rights Watch was made public. It stated that during Operation Cast Lead, the Israel Defense Forces killed 11 civilians, including five women and four children, who were carrying white flags, an act that has been characterized as a war crime. This should have been far more shocking, but we did not hear one word about it from the chief of staff. For this, he had kilograms of tolerance.

The IDF under Ashkenazi, who demanded that the army "scour with a steel comb every platoon and squad" in response to the hazing incident, did not investigate the killing of white-flag bearers. All of a sudden the IDF - whose spokesman, Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu, launched a disgraceful delegitimization campaign against the rights group Breaking the Silence for daring to take shocking testimonials from soldiers - is backing an investigation of every tent. "We ought to encourage revelations," the fearlessly investigating chief of staff said of those hectoring soldiers, as the IDF stifles any possibility of revealing suspicions of war crimes.

If only our camp were clean, clean of those who abuse soldiers, purged of the minor liars. Allowing a child to drive an IDF-issued all-terrain vehicle? Forbidden. Killing children carrying white flags? Allowed. Lying about allowing your wife to drive an army-issued car? Forbidden. Killing women? Allowed. Administrative minutiae - a wife driving her husband's car, a son driving an ATV and the hazing of fresh recruits - are grave matters. Mistakenly killing civilians is permitted. This is the message."

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Meanwhile...

IDF chief revealed to be mystery figure at center of credit card theft

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"The military court in Jaffa lifted a gag order on Sunday revealing the identity of a senior Israel Defense Forces official whose credit card data was stolen by a soldier last month and transferred to an Arab Israeli. The court revealed that the victim of the theft was IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi.

The credit card number was used in the purchase of items worth some NIS 2,000, all bought at a store in the Sharon region where the Arab Israeli suspect is employed. The store employee is also suspected of having purchased two M-16 rifles from the soldier, who allegedly stole the rifles and a decorative handgun from the chief of staff's office.

The gun was not functional, and had been given to Ashkenazi as a gift for display purposes.

During questioning, the soldier suspected of stealing the items said that the credit card information was taken from him by force, and that he was not the only soldier stationed at that base who knew the chief of staff's credit card information.

The investigation into the incident exposed serious lapses in the arrangements for protecting Ashkenazi."

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I do agree that there needs to be the same zero-tolerance when it comes to Palestinian civilians. Don't get me wrong. Coming down like a ton of bricks on abuse within the military is something that should be commended, as that sort of stuff in the military here has led to suicide with some people, but they really do need to have the same attitude towards cases of abuse towards Palestinian civilians...