Israel's policing army is in breach of contract | Opinion

In addition to widespread public condemnation, the attacks on Israel Defense Forces soldiers by settlers from Yitzhar have elicited criticism of the army itself, which for years has been tolerating breaches of the law by settlers. However, this criticism does not take into account the army’s complex structure.

Since the early 2000s, two armies have gradually evolved in Israel: One is the official army, subordinate to political echelons and operating under an orderly chain of command. The other is a policing, “implementation” army, formed in the West Bank while executing a policy which often oversteps official procedures. It’s easy to criticize the chief of staff for not acting with resolve against settlers who harm soldiers, but Aviv Kochavi is only one of the commanders of this policing army. This army is subordinate to a whole matrix of authorities, consisting of settler communities, security coordinators in various settlements, rabbis and others.