Speaking Truth

The story making waving in all the Israeli papers yesterday concerns the Golani commander of the 51st Battalion, who on the eve of leading his men in battle in the Gaza Strip, orders them to kill themselves rather than be kidnapped by Hamas et al. The IDF has finished its investigation of the commander’s ‘indiscretion’ and declined to prosecute the commander. Jerusalem Post

The IDF does not plan to bring disciplinary charges against a battalion commander from the Golani Brigade who told his soldiers that they needed to do everything possible to prevent being kidnapped during the recent operation in Gaza including blowing themselves up with a grenade.

In a tape recording of a briefing the commander of Battalion 51 gave his soldiers before entering Gaza during Operation Cast Lead the senior officer was heard saying: "Hamas's strategic weapon is to kidnap a soldier and I don't have to tell you but no soldier from Battalion 51 gets kidnapped at any price and under any situation even if it means that he has to blow up his grenade together with those who are trying to kidnap him."

Kol HaKavod to the unnamed commander and why isn’t this man Prime Minister of Israel? Any man who can speak plainly to prevent a disaster which ruins or weakens the morale of the nation or the army should be.