It is reported that the IDF’s most senior command feels that the military is not prepared for a confrontation and the lack of confidence by the General Staff may be a contributory factor to the situation.

According to a report based on a classified document obtained by Ynet, in which former Deputy Chief of Staff Major-General Yair Golan warns of “irreversible damage” that was caused by the lack of confidence for ground forces exhibited by the military’s high command.

The document is viewed as a supplementary report to the damaging report released a half year ago by the IDF’s retiring ombudsman, Major-General (reserves) Yitzchak Brick, who warned if the military goes to war, the disastrous result will make the “Yom Kippur War look like a walk in the park“.

Ynet adds the report was submitted to former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkott prior to his retirement, as well as to now-Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, along with Prime Minister/Defense Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other senior commanders.

He is quoted warning that even with the advanced missile systems held by the Israel Air Force, ground forces are required to stop missile fire and there is no confidence in today ground forces or the younger generation of officers, including the limited capabilities of the armored and engineering brigades.

Golan, who for the last decade served as the Northern District Commander, Homefront Commander and Deputy Chief of Staff, and it about to retire, explains there were plans to go into Gaza, but there was a fear among members of the General Staff of incurring heavy losses and as a result, there was not incursion into Gaza. He laments that the younger generation simply does not know what a high standard is and therefore, they have lost the ability to fix the situation.

Ynet adds, “The context and timing of Golan’s comments make his warnings all the more dire. In the year that preceded Operation Protective Edge, the Ground Forces’ training was reduced considerably to NIS 4.8 billion due to budgetary battles with the Finance Ministry, which also affected other branches of the IDF. Since then, the IDF’s multi-annual Gideon plan has almost doubled the Ground Forces’ budget to NIS 7.2 billion in an effort to rehabilitate the army.”

Nevertheless, at present, the headset is that the ground forces are ill prepared, and the high command lacks confidence in their abilities as well as lamenting “there is not general outlook and the army is undisciplined”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)