“When the hostilities of war have the status of war, compensation is assigned according to special criteria. But the army still obeys the government " - expert

A meeting in the office of the Minister of Defense of Israel Yoav Galanta, October 8, 2023. Photo: Israeli Ministry of Defense

Israel is at war: first, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in contacting the nation stated this, then the government officially confirmed this status by introducing the so-called paragraph 40-Alef (40 א). Such a decision was made for the first time from the Judgment Day War, which began exactly 50 years ago, on October 6, 1973.

As the Israeli military expert David Sharp said in an interview with The Insider, in reality there is nothing out of the order in the decision.

“Slightly exaggerating, the government actually authorizes itself to make important decisions in the military sector, which with a high degree of probability will lead to war. This is the main and most important thing. In fact, the cabinet legally actualized its powers. There are other aspects. For example, when hostilities have the status of war, and not some operation, then all victims receive compensation according to other criteria, clear and understandable.

As for the authority of the army, it is still accountable to the government through the Minister of Defense and the “narrow cabinet” on security issues, which more solving issues regarding security and defense. The army does not solve what to do, tasks are set for it by a political leadership. If the task of overthrowing Hamas power is set by conducting a full -scale land operation, then this task is set by the government. Well, how optimally it is to implement it, this is the army, and there is nothing particularly new in this.

The head of the General Staff is the main figure in the leadership of the army’s actions. However, there are all kinds of unwritten rules. Naturally, the Minister of Defense to one degree or another affects, and very often it depends on the personality of the minister. If he is not a military man and not authoritative, then he follows the head of the General Staff. Now the Minister of Defense is a former military man, he is a fairly dominant figure. So the head of the General Staff has his clear powers, but the Minister of Defense will intervene.

Of course, the head of government also takes part in making important decisions. He is explained the situation, he approves certain decisions. He is an experienced person, also related to military affairs. He has a very rich experience in making decisions, so in this case he does not feel like a stranger. In this sense, nothing has changed either.

As for the gas sector, its status formally remains the same and, I think, will remain so. ”

Israeli Minister of Defense Joav Galant, Major General, former commander of the Southern Military District of the Israeli Defense Army.

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