JNS
The Israeli defense minister will not allow political statements by uniformed soldiers in the future.
Defense Minister Israel Katz will not tolerate partisan political statements from "anyone wearing a uniform" in the future, sources in the ministry told reporters on Thursday, a day after IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari criticized Knesset members.
Sources close to the defense minister said that while the spokesman's apology on Wednesday night "put an end to the incident," leading Katz to abandon his plans to initiate disciplinary proceedings, Hagari's remarks constituted a "major warning sign" for the political echelon.
Briefing reporters on Wednesday, Hagari expressed his opposition to the "Feldstein Law," a bill making its way through the Knesset that would give immunity to all members of the security establishment who give classified files to the prime minister or defense minister.
The legislation comes in response to criminal charges brought against Eli Feldstein, a former spokesman in the Prime Minister's Office, for allegedly leaking classified documents concerning hostages in Gaza.
Feldstein stands accused of leaking intelligence to the German daily Bild with the aim of reducing public criticism of the government after Israeli forces in the Strip discovered the bodies of six murdered captives.
According to Hagari, the "dangerous" legislation "will create a situation where any junior official in the IDF can, based on his own personal judgment, steal documents or intelligence materials from the IDF."
"The IDF does not hide information from the political echelon. The IDF works in accordance with the political echelon for the defense of Israel," he said at the briefing, responding to a question from a reporter.
In a subsequent statement, Katz slammed the IDF spokesman for what he described as a "complete deviation from his authority and what is allowed and expected of a uniformed person in a democratic regime.
"I intend to take disciplinary action against him as soon as possible to draw the necessary conclusions," the defense minister said.
'Not an army that has a country'
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry with authority over Judea and Samaria issues, also denounced the spokesman's in-uniform criticism, stressing that "Israel is a country that has an army, and not an army that has a country."
Hagari announced that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi admonished him over the incident, acknowledging he expressed his opinion on the bill "in a way that went beyond my authority as an IDF spokesman."
"The State of Israel is a democratic country, and the IDF is subordinate to the political echelon. In the hundreds of statements and questions I have answered since October 7, [2023], I have maintained statism," he said. "The IDF conveys its positions on legislation to the relevant parties through the accepted mechanisms for that purpose, and not in any other way.
(Statism—mamlakhtiyut in Hebrew—can be defined as the Israeli version of republicanism.)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended Halevi for disciplining Hagari.
“It is good that the IDF spokesman was put in his place to ensure that such a statement is not heard again,” wrote the Israeli premier. “In a democratic country, the military is not supposed to interfere in political matters, and certainly not criticize legislation.”
In June, Hagari was widely criticized after he told the Channel 13 News broadcaster that the government’s goal of ending Hamas rule in Gaza can only truly be accomplished by putting in place a viable alternative.
Hagari claimed that “Hamas is an idea” and that, as such, “anyone who thinks it can be eliminated is wrong.” He also said that the Iran-backed terrorist organization is “rooted in the hearts of the people” of Gaza.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, a member of the ruling Likud Party, tweeted in response to Hagari’s interview at the time, “The words of the IDF spokesperson this evening are only a sign of the lax commanding spirit of the chief of staff and the defense minister.
“Instead of thinking that he is still [Benny] Gantz’s and [Gadi] Eizenkot’s bureau chief and talking from their throats, the IDF spokesperson should concentrate on strengthening our fighters,” Karhi wrote, in reference to Hagari’s roles under the two former IDF chiefs of staff, who now serve in the Knesset for the opposition National Unity Party.
