A Distorted Self-Image: On the IDF and its Responsibility for Civilians

The official mission of the IDF is “to defend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel. To protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all forms of terrorism which threaten the daily life.” The essay below contends that the Second Lebanon War was another milestone in the deconstruction process of the IDF’s self-image. More precisely, the IDF has come to see itself as less and less obligated to fulfill its mission. The essay also argues that the IDF was hard-pressed to protect the state’s citizens during the summer of 2006, due to four primary causes: extensive IDF involvement in diplomatic negotiations; the infiltration of post-modern and post-heroic concepts into the IDF; casting the protection of soldiers as the highest value, in place of the value of mission fulfillment; and the neglect of ground maneuvers as a tool for military victory.