The following is a translation of a Walla News interview with Colonel Eran Niv, the commander of Bahad 1, IDF Officers’ Training School.

“Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner is an officer of values, but he ‘lost it’. I’m sure he gave his life and his soul to the army, but he failed,” Colonel Eran Niv told Walla News.

“At that moment, he acted contrary to military norms,” said the colonel, referring to Lt.-Colonel Shalom Eisner, who was supposed to become his deputy commander but lost the assignment due to the incident involving a Danish International Solidarity Movement anarchist.

“He attacked a man who with his weapon, a man was unarmed and not threatening him. Therefore his actions were unprofessional and unethical. Now we must determine what we will do next. An officer must know one does not act like this. Does this reflect on 20 years in the IDF? Can one say he was unethical for 20 years? This is a different matter but what is certain he failed here”.

After seeing the pictures, trying to understand, did you think he could have been your assistant?

“I was commander of the Ephraim Brigade for two and a half years. I know that these protests can drive you crazy. I know that the protesters are trying to make you do it. They try to get you there, to this picture. Your profession is to known how to contain these events. Senior officers need to see to it that the young officers don’t lose it. If you feel you are losing it take a step back, have a drink of water, take a breath, wait a moment and call for additional soldiers. Many times, professional failures can bring about additional ethical failures.”

If the chief of staff would decide not to oust Eisner would you have accepted him as your deputy commander?

“I do not make reference to what the Chief of Staff decided already. It is a real pity that this event occurred. I want to say these situations are difficult for everyone, but we must not fall. If we remain professional we will not stumble ethically. ”

Kol Isha – A concession for the defense of the homeland

Colonel Niv’s father and a mother fought in the Palmach and took part in the defense of the country even before the founding of the state and the stubborn fighting the War of Independence. Niv advanced in the Nachal Brigade and filled numerous command assignments during the Second Intifada. His name made the news in 2002 when he arrived as a battalion commander in Hebron at Worshippers’ Path where 12 security personnel were murdered by terrorists including the commander of the Hebron Brigade, Colonel Dror Weinberg. In response, Niv gathered soldiers and officers from various units to and launched an offensive against the terrorists. He succeeded in eliminating them. He then served in other command positions including a reservist paratroop brigade and commander of the Ephraim Brigade in the Tulkarem-Kalkilye districts. He was appointed to his current post, commander of Bahad 1 a year-and-a-half ago.

During his tenure he has been required to address complex questions about the identity of the officer and social issues that creates social tensions between religious and secular cadets on the base.

“To bring the soldier from civilian life to basic training, to explain to him that he is in a total hierarchical organization, to explain to him why the army and why the uniform, what it means to be army – all these become a challenge not just the current era” says Niv trying to describe the atmosphere in 2012 among those who come through the gate of the academy.

“Anyone entering the base is viewed by me as an officer. He must know what it means to be a soldier in the Jewish democratic state. He must know how to behave in the army that has a shared service. How to take people with different beliefs and opinions, and tell them that common value is larger than all the things I mentioned – and it is called defending the homeland – and they must have to compromise towards this goal. This is called being an officer – even if it involves kol isha.

Does the preoccupation with the word Jew create problems with the Druse, Bedouin or Christian cadets?

“Israel is a Jewish democratic state and I expect a Druse soldier to know what a Jew is. If you are an officer, you will have tomorrow Jewish soldiers even if you are Druze. If you become an officer, tomorrow you will have subordinates who are Jewish even if you are a Druse. If you are in a democratic country, then you must also know what a minority is – just what are Druse, Christians, Arabs, Moslem and Christian. This is what we deal with an officer must be curios and recognize and know his soldiers”.

Is there another complex question that commanders deal with?

“You explain to cadets that the authority rests with their commanders who receive their authority from the state which receives its authority from her citizens. That is it and there is no other authority. Not rabbis and not parents. Therefore a soldier must understand he must obey orders from commanders unless of course an order is simply illegal. There is absolutely no question about this”.

We cannot ignore the removal of cadets who refused to listen to kol isha. The move created a national uproar. Did their battalion commander act wisely?

“I think the matter could have been addressed better and in a wider fashion. On the other hand, the commander acted on his conscience and values and this is very important. In addition, we learn from mistakes. Battalion Commander of the Gefen unit should have first held a discussion first but he only did so after the fact. He learned the lesson. I ask another question. Why did good soldiers, who did not come to cause trouble or to protest get up and leave? What took place there? I am telling you they are very good soldiers. They never intended to cause a commotion. There were nine involved in the incident of which four were expelled. Two returned and became officers. Two decided not to apologize and five other cadets received another punishment. At their graduation ceremony there was kol isha. There was much confusion. It was unclear. Only commanders give orders. I decided that on Bahad 1 there would be mixed choirs, no solo male or female vocalists. This was my order for one must exhibit a little consideration.

The pool at the base usually becomes the focus of friction between religious and secular.

“There are cadets on the base who are bothered than there is mixed swimming. But when the battalion comes to work out there is separation. There are also separate swimming hours to accommodate everyone. The gym is closed on Shabbos. To operate it would compel me to assign an instructor to work on Shabbos and this would be unjustified.

There were similar events such as the heritage event discussing Operation Cast Lead during which cadets walked out because of kol isha.

“I debated if there would be megilah reading on Purim. The cadets arrived in the hall and discovered a mechitza. The battalion commander arrived and removed it. The shomer Shabbos cadets questions ‘what are you doing? This is a religious event and everyone must fulfill his obligation’.

“You cannot tell me that this is a shul. The non frum arrived and questioned why they were brought to a frum event. The battalion commander suddenly found himself between a rock and a hard place. Does an officer have to attend megilah reading? We decided yes, he must, at least one of the readings. This holds true even if he is a Druse because this is the heritage. It is not a religious act but an educational one. It does not matter if you are Druse or something else. The event passed quietly because one has to know how to act and there was dialogue and discussion – hence a solution”.

What scares you as commander? The level of professionalism or perhaps the chasm in our society or price tag operations?”

“What causes me loss of sleep is not the left or right-wing protests but if war breaks out tomorrow, will the officers know how to respond, to provide the answers against the intensity of a standing army. That is it and that is a great deal. There are days during which we address morality in battle. I give such lectures, explaining the IDF teaches steadfastness to the mission and determination. There is the bad, the mission, and the need to push to overcome the fear and an entire set of values. The point is that simply don’t work because of the concept of purity of arms, reliability, human life and more. I don’t believe the mission at all costs. The entire world is speaking about the protest [referring to the incident with Eisner]. In this case, it was a mission but he missed the target”.   Your father, Arele was a Palmach fighter. Did you have opportunity to speak with him about issues pertaining to mixed (men/women) in the service?

“My mother was the Palmach fighter. My father fought in the Latrun area Khirbet Korichor where 45 fell in battle, all from the religious unit. There were also frum fighters in the Palmach because everyone realized that they must fight for the country. We must understand, as then, we’re all here together to give up for one cause. I think that my father taught me to be looking at things in a simple manner. He used to say: ‘We the army and the army has orders and executes them. Life is very simple. ”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)