Ben-Gvir Seeks to Alter IDF Ethical Code if Appointed Defense Minister
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of Otzma Yehudit, plans to change the IDF's ethical code if appointed Defense Minister. He wants to replace "purity of arms" with "justice of arms" and rewrite rules on weapon use to "Kill the one who comes to kill you." Ben-Gvir also seeks to define the IDF as a "Jewish army" focused on "decisive victories" and remove references to "universal moral values."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Itamar Ben-Gvir plans to change the IDF's ethical code if appointed Defense Minister.
- Ben-Gvir wants to replace "purity of arms" with "justice of arms."
- He proposes rewriting rules on weapon use to "Kill the one who comes to kill you."
- Ben-Gvir seeks to define the IDF as a "Jewish army" focused on "decisive victories."
- He also wants to remove references to "universal moral values" from the code.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the Otzma Yehudit party, intends to introduce changes to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ethical code. According to Kan, associates of Ben-Gvir have developed a plan for these proposed alterations, contingent on him being appointed as the Defense Minister, a position he is seeking. Ben-Gvir aims to replace the phrase "purity of arms" with "justice of arms." He also proposes significant revisions to several paragraphs within the code. For instance, a paragraph stating that "a soldier shall use arms only to carry out the mission, shall not use them against captives, and shall do everything in his power to avoid striking the life, health, dignity, and property of those who are not combatants" would be rewritten. Ben-Gvir suggests this paragraph should instead read: "A soldier shall use arms to achieve victory over the enemy, and the guiding principle shall be 'Kill the one who comes to kill you.'" He further proposes defining the IDF as a "Jewish army whose mission is to achieve decisive victories over the enemies of the State of Israel and the people of Israel." Ben-Gvir also demands the removal of language from the ethical code stating that "the spirit of the IDF is built, among other things, on universal moral values based on the sanctity, honor, and dignity of human beings."
