Ofer Shelah criticizes the Minister of Defense and the IDF: "A terrible disaster"
Ofer Shelah harshly criticized the conduct of the IDF and the political echelon during the events in Qusra. He warned of the consequences of continuing the war for Israel's status and the army, claiming that on the eve of the elections, politicians prefer to "tell themselves a lie."
The sequence of events that took place over the last week in the village of Qusra has sparked a wave of criticism regarding the lenient attitude of the IDF and the police toward the group of Jewish rioters who laid siege to the homes of Palestinian families. Ofer Shelah, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), discussed the issue on 103fm radio.
Shelah admitted he was shocked by the events in Qusra and went on the offensive: "What happened in Qusra, beyond the human level and the abuse of individuals, is a complete disintegration of every institution in the State of Israel, including a declaration by the Minister of Defense that I don't think he understands the meaning of. Most of the things he says raise the question of whether he knows what he is talking about. For days there has been a siege there — it is simply annexation. The political meaning of this for the State of Israel is a terrible disaster, stemming from the complete helplessness of the IDF."
Moreover, he clarified: "The IDF is the sovereign in the territory because Israel never annexed Judea and Samaria, and therefore it is territory captured in war. The army, as the sovereign, allows this to continue, does nothing about it for 6 days, and in the end, runs to the Minister of Defense and agrees that the police will handle it."
Later, he explained his perspective: "For 6 days, the IDF did nothing to deal with the rampage in territory under its sovereignty. It did not do so because this army no longer knows if it is coming or going, and it displays undisciplined behavior. This is not a matter of a policing mission; the IDF is capable of dismantling outposts within 48 hours and preventing people from reaching certain places when it chooses to."
Addressing the visit of Jared Kushner, senior advisor to US President Donald Trump, Shelah noted: "The world is tired of the Israeli position that only wants the continuation of the war. The world tells Israel: either we will go the path proposed by Kushner — which comes with the agreement of many Arab countries — or you will remain with Gaza, its troubles, and your war."
Furthermore, Shelah attacked the attitude of politicians on the eve of the elections: "The consensus among parties is worrying. They are all in an election campaign, acting as if they don't see the lack of significant achievements in the war. This is an intensification of a change in the Israeli character. The war has long since ceased to be about Gaza or Iran. The question is who we are. Benjamin Netanyahu called us a 'Sparta,' a country for which war is the essence. There should be a national debate about this, but no one provides answers."
"In an election campaign, everyone tells themselves a lie they think will advance them. As a public, we stop our ears and close our eyes to the situation. The fact that politicians are afraid to say what they really think is the nature of an election campaign. We will have to give the answer to ourselves."
In conclusion, he summarized the state of the army: "This is one of the results of an endless war we have been in for 3 years. The army is stretched and is going to collapse into itself—these are not my words, but the words of the Chief of Staff. Commanders have lost their ability to command. Whoever wants the continuation of this war wants the complete loss of Israel's status in the world. Let's discuss if this is what we want."
