A General Failure - January 21, 1999
This week has seen a series of announcements by former Generals in the Israel Defense Forces, that they will join the Labor Party.  As a result of these announcements, the Labor Party is now top-heavy with former Generals.  These include party leader Ehud Barak, Danny Yatom, Matan Vilnai, Ori Orr, Oren Shachor, Ephraim Sneh, and Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. The newest rumor has Yossi Peled also joining these ranks.

In most cases, when a party of generals comes to power, they do so through a military coup.  The resulting government is one of military rule, and in most places is called a "military Junta".  This group then proceeds to suppress public dissent and opposition, and eradicate most forms of democracy.  The ruling group of generals represents a select few -- an elite -- which is made up of second tier military leaders such as colonels.   They exercise near total control over the media and public institutions, and keep salaries for the working class low.  The civil service becomes bloated with low-paid workers and inefficiency.  Personal freedoms are curtailed.

Examples of military dictatorships that have graced the world with their presence include Argentina in the 1970's, Chile in the 1970's and 1980's (General Augusto Pinochet is now facing trial), El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti in the 70's and 80's, Uganda in the 1970's, and most central African states in the past two or three decades.  Some countries still have military dictatorships at the helm, including Libya, Iraq, Cuba, and North Korea -- the four great outlaw states today.

In Israel, democracy is the style of government, although it is a flawed democracy.  Policies geared toward the elite are pursued with little regard for the majority of the population.  While the Likud government has improved on this trend slightly, the talons of Labor are still deeply hooked into the political landscape of this country.  Policies such as administrative detention without trial or charge, socialist centralization of the economy, low wages and low efficiency, an unwieldy bureaucracy, uneven law enforcement, a politicized court system, and a government-controlled media which is nothing more than a mouthpiece for Labor, all continue to exist in this country.

The recent wave of Generals flocking to join the Labor party should set alarm bells ringing in the minds of all proponents of democracy in Israel. The policies entrenching the elite at the helm of this country, and downgrading everyone else, will become more solid under their leadership, not less.  It is a part of the mystery of Israeli politics that the potential for fascist leadership exists not on the right, but in an ostensibly left-wing party.

In addition, it is another part of this mystery that so many military leaders, people who supposedly have their finger on the real security needs of this country, are all joining the Labor party, whose basic policy includes handing over territory vital to Israel's security needs to a terrorist organization intent on destroying Israel.

Perhaps, though, it is not such a mystery.  For it is the same military leadership, under the guidance of Barak, Vilani, Yatom and Shachor, that has led the IDF into a time of record low morale among the soldiers, and uncertainty over what the proper course of action is when a soldier is attacked by terrorists intent on his murder.  The IDF is bogged down in a hopeless war in Lebanon, and has its hands tied in Judea and Samaria against the terrorists.

If these Generals are allowed to take over the leadership of this country, even if a military dictatorship is not the result, a further reduction in morale and a further confusion regarding Israel's entire reason for existence certainly will be.


Copyright 1999.  Yehuda Poch is a writer living in Israel.  Reproduction in electronic or print format by permission only.