Ben-Gvir presents plan to change IDF code if appointed defense minister — Jerusalem Post

In Israel, National Security Minister and leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party Itamar Ben-Gvir presented a plan to revise the ethical code of the Israel Defense Forces if he is appointed defense minister. The initiative calls for changing the document known as the “Spirit of the IDF,” with an emphasis on the Jewish identity of the military and victory in battle, the Jerusalem Post reports.

A new goal for the army

According to the proposal, the IDF’s main goal should be to achieve victory and decisively defeat the enemies of the State of Israel and the Jewish people, while ensuring the security of the state, its citizens and residents.

The plan also provides for expanding the list of sources on which the army’s values are based. It proposes making greater reference to Jewish moral values, the Bible, Jewish ethics, Jewish law and the traditions of the Jewish people. The IDF is proposed to be defined in the document as a “Jewish state army,” and Israel as the national home of the Jewish people.

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Replacing the principle of using force

One of the key changes is to replace the principle of “purity of arms” with the principle of “righteousness of arms.” The updated code proposes enshrining the formula, “If someone comes to kill you, rise earlier and kill him first,” as a fundamental moral guideline for service members while carrying out missions.

At the same time, the proposal would remove from the current wording the requirement to use force “only to the extent necessary.” The initiative also provides for abolishing direct provisions banning harm to non-combatants and prisoners of war, as well as all references to “universal moral values.”

At the same time, the draft contains provisions on the obligation of the IDF and its service members to preserve human dignity regardless of a person’s origin, religion, nationality, gender, status or position. Under the proposed wording, service members must place mission accomplishment, the army’s values and state security above other considerations.