Dr. Aaron Lerner is co-founder of IMRA, Independent Media Review and Analysis, an Israel-based news organization which provides an extensive digest of media, polls and significant interviews and events relating to the Israeli-Arab conflict. imra@netvision.net.il
Israeli Police Commissioner and IDF Chief of Staff fail under pressure
By Dr. Aaron Lerner
July 22, 2005
The test of leaders is how they perform under pressure. Unfortunately, Israel's new Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi and new Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz appear to have dropped the ball this week as pressure rose from anti-retreat protests.
Karadi forfeited his credibility in the transparent games he played in his discussions with the leaders of the disengagement protesters. He may have thought he was a sharp player as he suddenly pulled his "ace" -- claims of information about dangerous situations -- well into these discussions.
[As IMRA reported Wednesday night, Karadi's remark that "crowding by marchers close to the Kfar Maimon fence is liable to endanger the lives of their people, who are liable to be crushed against the fence and thus injured" may have been an attempt to create an excuse for harsh police actions to "save" the marchers from a "life endangering situation" -- since the police can use extreme force in a "life endangering situation". Israel Television Channel One Mabat reported from the scene -- after reporting Karadi's remark -- that the Yesha Council put many "protest marshals" in the area and that the situation is in very much under control.]
While it may be possible for Karadi to make amends for stupid police moves on the ground (for example confiscating the licenses of bus drivers to prevent people from reaching an anti-disengagement rally in Netivot), it will be considerably harder for him to reestablish his credibility.
Halutz has allowed the IDF to get involved in suppressing protest within the Green Line -- a serious confusion in role for an army in a democratic society. He has also panicked in his every growing threats against soldiers who prefer to be punished rather than participate in the police action against Israeli settlers.
Refusal to carry out orders is certainly a complicated and sensitive issue -- in particular since other soldiers serve defending settlements that they themselves oppose.
But there is an important and significant factor in this case: none other than Prime Minister Ariel Sharon swears that it is time-bound. "There will be no second disengagement", he swears.
The IDF's justice system provides for a series of punishments against soldiers who refuse to carry out an order. And if Halutz feels it necessary for these soldiers to serve time in military jail and the justice system backs him on it then this is a price they will have to pay for their stand.
But that's military prison time -- not being barred from continuing service in combat units and not being expelled from the special hesder torah study/military service program.
The IDF got sucked into a police role. Halutz can ill afford to ignore that tomorrow the IDF faces Israel enemies, rather than Israeli citizens. The nation can ill-afford the luxury of permanently disposing of some of its most motivated combat fighters.
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