The Front Page Cover
2016 The truth will set you free
Featuring:
What a former head of the Mossad revealed
that left me troubled but enlightened
Caroline B. Glick
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Justice Scalia Laid to Rest
The politics were subdued Saturday as the Scalia family laid their patriarch, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, to rest. Yes, Liberty lost an articulate and bold defender and the political scrabble surrounding his replacement's nomination will be one for the history books, but the ceremony at the largest Catholic church in the country, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, focused on a great man and a higher truth.
"We are gathered here because of one man," eulogized Rev. Paul Scalia, the son of the justice. "A man known personally to many of us, known only by reputation to even more. A man loved by many, scorned by others. A man known for great controversy, and for great compassion. That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth. It is He whom we proclaim. Jesus Christ, son of the father, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, buried, risen, seated at the right hand of the Father. It is because of him. because of his life, death and resurrection that we do not mourn as those who have no hope, but in confidence we commend Antonin Scalia to the mercy of God."
Washington elites such as AG Loretta Lynch, Joe loose lips-Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts filled the pews. But one man was noticeably absent: Barack nObama. He released a photo of himself carrying a thick binder with what he said were potential Supreme Court nominees that he would go through over the weekend. That was Friday. On Sunday, rain interrupted his golf game. Nothing better than scoring political points. -The Patriot Post
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The GOP Race and the nObama Effect
The results from South Carolina are in with few surprises, unless perhaps it would be Marco Rubio's second-place finish after coming in a dismal fifth in New Hampshire. Ted Cruz came in third (though only about 1,000 votes behind Rubio) in a state that should have been tailor-made for him. Donald slump-Trump performed strongly despite praising nObamaCare and essentially calling the last Republican president a war criminal. Perhaps he can, as he recently boasted, "stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and [not] lose any voters."
The slump-Trump Train remains impossible to derail until the field is down to two. Yes, Jeb Bush dropped out, but John Kasich and Ben Carson remain in the race, diluting the not-slump-Trump vote. As Rubio put it, "[O]ver 70% of Republicans nationally have basically said we're not voting for Donald slump-Trump. And as long as that 70% is being divided up ... of course he's the frontrunner." That's assuming slump-Trump has reached his ceiling. He's defied all conventional wisdom so far, but it does seem that 30-35% is his plateau in the primary. Until Rubio or Cruz bows out, slump-Trump has the clearest path to the nomination — followed by what at present appears to be a significant loss to Hilly Clinton.
The trouble is that neither Rubio nor Cruz has any reason to leave the race yet. They virtually tied in South Carolina, and are polling neck-and-neck in Nevada (which votes Tuesday). Most unfortunately, they've spent most of their time in recent weeks attacking each other, which has made both of them less appealing.
As we have said before, slump-Trump's card is the ace of anger affirmation — he's tapping into an entirely justified swell of frustration among voters. And for that, we can thank Barack nObama and the failure of the GOP establishment to effectively stop him. If slump-Trump wins the nomination, it may simply be the Republican establishment reaping what it sowed. That's all well and good, but we think it will ultimately lead to Clinton carrying on nObama's legacy from the White House. What will that have accomplished? -The Patriot Post
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Jeb! Loses All Energy to Continue Campaign
With the results of the South Carolina primary placing him in fourth, Jeb!™ Bush dropped out of the GOP presidential primary, saying, "The presidency is bigger than any one person." Winning South Carolina was key to Bush's campaign. It was where his brother and father picked up their support in their races. But the possibility of a Bush family dynasty and the crass rhetoric of Donald slump-Trump doomed the former Florida governor's efforts.
"I have had a front row seat to this office for much of my adult life," Bush said in the speech announcing the end of his campaign. "I have seen fallible men rise up to the challenges of our time, with humility, and clarity of purpose ... to make our nation safer, stronger, and freer. I firmly believe the American people must entrust this office to someone who understands that whoever holds it is the servant, not the master. Someone who will commit to that service with honor and decency."
And with those comments, Bush demonstrated his respect for voters, the office and the process. As conservative blogger Rod Dreher wrote, it was Bush's good character that prevented him from stooping to slump-Trump's level. It was what made him, in part, appear "low energy." If it wasn't for the toxic name of "Bush," Jeb could have been one of the front runners in this primary. And despite not being the ideal candidate for 2016, his dropping out means there's one less man of character in the race. -The Patriot Post
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U.S. Scrambles to Contain
Growing ISIS Threat in Libya
ERIC SCHMITT
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Senegalese commandos during a recent United States-led training exercise in Senegal
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{mobile.nytimes.com} ~ The Islamic State’s branch in Libya is deepening its reach across a wide area of Africa, attracting new recruits from countries like Senegal that had been largely immune to the jihadist propaganda... and forcing the African authorities and their Western allies to increase efforts to combat the fast-moving threat. The American airstrikes in northwestern Libya on Friday, which demolished an Islamic State training camp and were aimed at a top Tunisian operative, underscore the problem, Western officials said. The more than three dozen suspected Islamic State fighters killed in the bombing were recruited from Tunisia and other African countries, officials said, and were believed to be rehearsing an attack against Western targets. Even as American intelligence agencies say the number of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria has dropped to about 25,000 from a high of about 31,500, partly because of the United States-led air campaign there, the group’s ranks in Libya have roughly doubled in the same period, to about 6,500 fighters. More than a dozen American and allied officials spoke of their growing concern about the militant organization’s expanding reach from Libya and across Africa on rules of anonymity because the discussions involved intelligence and military planning. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/world/africa/us-scrambles-to-contain-growing-isis-threat-in-libya.html?referer=http://www.drudgereport.com/&_r=1.
White House slashed NYC terror funding to punish Schumer, former top cop says
DAN FRIEDMAN
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There's a certain amount vindictiveness on the part of Washington aimed at Sen. Chuck Schumer," Ray Kelly, New York City's police commissioner under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said
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{washingtonexaminer.com} ~ New York City's former top cop said Sunday that the nObama administration cut funding to fight terrorism in the city to retaliate against Sen. Chuck Schumer for opposing a nuclear deal with Iran... "There's a certain amount vindictiveness on the part of Washington aimed at Sen. Chuck Schumer," Ray Kelly, New York City's police commissioner under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, said in an interview with John Catsimatidis on AM 970 in New York. "Apparently they remember very well that Sen. Schumer did not support their Iran deal," Kelly said, arguing the proposed cut "was aimed at getting a reaction from Sen. Schumer." http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2583819.
Cruz: We Cannot Let This Guy Get Away
Lloyd Marcus
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America’s second-worst charity
agrees to shut down
Tampa Bay Times staff
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Here’s how California could be missing
pesticides’ cancer risk
Andrew Donohue
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Trigger Warnings in Annapolis
Bruce Fleming.
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{freebeacon.com} ~ The immediate subject of Joanna Williams’s depressing but compellingly written chronicle of the threats to Anglo-American academia over the last several decades is the concerted attack... first by the professors themselves and now by students, against the academic freedom of the title. Academic freedom is the ability of the professorate to express, explore, and teach even those ideas that don’t happen to be cut to this decade’s fashions. Thus academic freedom and its enemies may seem initially to be a narrow issue, of interest to few outside the now dwindling number of tenured professors who thought they were free to follow truth, and who discover instead that they can be shouted down by colleagues or students who feel that what the professor is saying “supports oppression.” Even worse, in Williams’s view, are those who self-censor to get their writing published and gain advancement while avoiding disapproval. However, the issues Williams addresses are of far wider importance than the professional interests of academics. First of all, most of the people reading a review like this will have been students at such institutions, and now may well have children going to them or hoping to do so. Indeed many readers may themselves be associated with such institutions—so central to our national economic health that President nObama suggests that virtually all young people should, for their own benefit and that of the country, go to college. Universities matter to the nation. http://freebeacon.com/culture/trigger-warnings-in-annapolis/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=465d68d2a1-WFB_Morning_Beacon_02_22_162_21_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-465d68d2a1-45611665.
Congress Moves to Boost Investment
in Israeli Technology
Adam Kredo.
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{freebeacon.com} ~ Congress is seeking to boost U.S. investment in Israeli security technologies and other sectors in response to efforts by international anti-Israel groups to promote economic boycotts of the Jewish state... according to a copy of a measure obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. As lawmakers pave the way for U.S. states to divest taxpayer funds from anti-Israel companies, another group of legislators is pushing a measure that would encourage the nObama administration to invest in new Israeli technologies, including those that could prevent cyber security attacks and other national security threats. The latest measure comes in response to efforts by anti-Israel supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, or BDS, to convince U.S. companies to stop operating in the Jewish state. http://freebeacon.com/issues/congress-moves-to-boost-economic-investment-in-israel/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=465d68d2a1-WFB_Morning_Beacon_02_22_162_21_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-465d68d2a1-45611665.
Gowdy – Cummings Can’t Complain, He And
Dems Delayed Benghazi Hearings
> Rick Wells.
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Phone Fight with the Government Shows
How Apple Misled the Public
Fred Fleitz
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What a former head of the Mossad revealed
that left me troubled but enlightened
Caroline B. Glick
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He was aware of my political views.
He was aware of my political views.
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Directing his remarks at a friend of mine, he declared that 99 percent of Mossad and Shin Bet officers are leftists. He then added triumphantly that according to a former commander of the air force whose name he cited, 99% of the air force’s pilots are similarly leftists.
Directing his remarks at a friend of mine, he declared that 99 percent of Mossad and Shin Bet officers are leftists. He then added triumphantly that according to a former commander of the air force whose name he cited, 99% of the air force’s pilots are similarly leftists.
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Initially, I dismissed his comments as obnoxious chest-beating by a man who felt like irritating a group of right-wingers.
Initially, I dismissed his comments as obnoxious chest-beating by a man who felt like irritating a group of right-wingers.
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But given the source, it is impossible to simply brush off what he said. And to be clear, far more troubling than the prospect that Israel’s security establishment is uniformly leftist is the notion that there is any intellectual or ideological uniformity of any kind in the ranks of our defense community.
But given the source, it is impossible to simply brush off what he said. And to be clear, far more troubling than the prospect that Israel’s security establishment is uniformly leftist is the notion that there is any intellectual or ideological uniformity of any kind in the ranks of our defense community.
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But given our defense community’s record in recent years, there is ample reason to believe that there is more than a grain of salt in the spy chief’s boast.
But given our defense community’s record in recent years, there is ample reason to believe that there is more than a grain of salt in the spy chief’s boast.
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Consider Israel’s handling of Gaza.
Consider Israel’s handling of Gaza.
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According to a number of senior officers, at the end of Operation Protective Edge in 2014, the IDF’s senior commanders convened in Tel Aviv to determine how to handle the Hamas regime going forward.
According to a number of senior officers, at the end of Operation Protective Edge in 2014, the IDF’s senior commanders convened in Tel Aviv to determine how to handle the Hamas regime going forward.
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During Protective Edge, Israel learned a few things about Hamas and about the strategic balance of power between Israel and Hamas in the region and the world.
During Protective Edge, Israel learned a few things about Hamas and about the strategic balance of power between Israel and Hamas in the region and the world.
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On the ground Israel learned that Hamas bases its offensive capabilities on civilian infrastructure.
On the ground Israel learned that Hamas bases its offensive capabilities on civilian infrastructure.
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Hamas placed its missiles, its communications centers and its operational commands inside civilian buildings including private homes, hospitals, clinics, schools, mosques and UN offices.
Hamas placed its missiles, its communications centers and its operational commands inside civilian buildings including private homes, hospitals, clinics, schools, mosques and UN offices.
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As far as the strategic balance and resources of both sides, during the war Hamas enjoyed the de facto backing of the nObama administration.
As far as the strategic balance and resources of both sides, during the war Hamas enjoyed the de facto backing of the nObama administration.
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Throughout the war, the administration pressured Israel to accept Hamas’s cease-fire terms as dictated by its state sponsors Qatar and Turkey.
Throughout the war, the administration pressured Israel to accept Hamas’s cease-fire terms as dictated by its state sponsors Qatar and Turkey.
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On the other hand, Israel was able to avoid bowing to the US’s pro-Hamas demands because throughout the conflict we enjoyed the open support of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
On the other hand, Israel was able to avoid bowing to the US’s pro-Hamas demands because throughout the conflict we enjoyed the open support of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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In other words, during the war, Israel discovered that Hamas’s military strategy was based entirely on an implicit alliance with the West, which attacked Israel for targeting Hamas’s military infrastructure, which, again, was all based in civilian structures.
In other words, during the war, Israel discovered that Hamas’s military strategy was based entirely on an implicit alliance with the West, which attacked Israel for targeting Hamas’s military infrastructure, which, again, was all based in civilian structures.
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It might have been assumed that the IDF senior commanders would have based their post-war deliberations on these lessons. But according to senior IDF sources, that didn’t happen.
It might have been assumed that the IDF senior commanders would have based their post-war deliberations on these lessons. But according to senior IDF sources, that didn’t happen.
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At the outset of that postwar meeting, IDF commanders were told that Israel’s best option was to assist in the reconstruction of Gaza – that is, the reconstruction of Hamas’s civilian-based military machine.
At the outset of that postwar meeting, IDF commanders were told that Israel’s best option was to assist in the reconstruction of Gaza – that is, the reconstruction of Hamas’s civilian-based military machine.
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The discussion then moved to the question of how best to achieve that goal.
The discussion then moved to the question of how best to achieve that goal.
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The notion that Israel is best off when Gazans are not living in the streets is certainly a legitimate one.
The notion that Israel is best off when Gazans are not living in the streets is certainly a legitimate one.
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Perhaps it would have withstood scrutiny if it had been subjected to scrutiny. But it wasn’t.
Perhaps it would have withstood scrutiny if it had been subjected to scrutiny. But it wasn’t.
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And in hindsight, it is obvious that it should have been.
And in hindsight, it is obvious that it should have been.
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In keeping with the decision to support the reconstruction of Gaza, according to the Foreign Ministry, over the past year and a half Israel has permitted 3.4 million tons of building materials to be imported into Gaza. And yet, according to a recent report by the UN, 74% of the civilian buildings that were destroyed in Protective Edge have yet to be rebuilt.
In keeping with the decision to support the reconstruction of Gaza, according to the Foreign Ministry, over the past year and a half Israel has permitted 3.4 million tons of building materials to be imported into Gaza. And yet, according to a recent report by the UN, 74% of the civilian buildings that were destroyed in Protective Edge have yet to be rebuilt.
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In the meantime, Hamas has replenished its missile stores and rebuilt its military infrastructure, including its subterranean attack tunnels that traverse the border into Israel.
In the meantime, Hamas has replenished its missile stores and rebuilt its military infrastructure, including its subterranean attack tunnels that traverse the border into Israel.
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Both the continued suffering of the Gazans, and the sounds of drilling under the homes of Israelis living along the border with Gaza, indicate that at a minimum, the security establishment’s immediate post-war determination that Israel must permit building materials to enter Gaza was a bit hasty.
Both the continued suffering of the Gazans, and the sounds of drilling under the homes of Israelis living along the border with Gaza, indicate that at a minimum, the security establishment’s immediate post-war determination that Israel must permit building materials to enter Gaza was a bit hasty.
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Then there is Iran.
Then there is Iran.
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Iran’s illicit nuclear program was first exposed in 2003. At the time, it probably made sense for Israel to follow the US’s lead in blocking Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But then, the Americans’ continued stumbles in Iraq made clear from as early as 2004 that perhaps the Bush administration wouldn’t be up to the challenge of blocking Iran’s path to the bomb.
Iran’s illicit nuclear program was first exposed in 2003. At the time, it probably made sense for Israel to follow the US’s lead in blocking Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But then, the Americans’ continued stumbles in Iraq made clear from as early as 2004 that perhaps the Bush administration wouldn’t be up to the challenge of blocking Iran’s path to the bomb.
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The early suspicions that then-president George W. Bush would not block Iran’s nuclear ambitions became an all-but certainty in the wake of the publication of the 2007 US National Intelligence Estimate.
The early suspicions that then-president George W. Bush would not block Iran’s nuclear ambitions became an all-but certainty in the wake of the publication of the 2007 US National Intelligence Estimate.
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The NIE made the dubious claim that Iran had abandoned its military nuclear program in 2003.
The NIE made the dubious claim that Iran had abandoned its military nuclear program in 2003.
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Despite the fact that the claim was contradicted by the report itself, in light of Bush’s political weakness at the end of his second term, the NIE rendered it politically impossible for Bush to order a military strike against Iran’s nuclear installations. It also made it politically possible for President Barack nObama to initiate his pro-Iranian Middle East policy a year later.
Despite the fact that the claim was contradicted by the report itself, in light of Bush’s political weakness at the end of his second term, the NIE rendered it politically impossible for Bush to order a military strike against Iran’s nuclear installations. It also made it politically possible for President Barack nObama to initiate his pro-Iranian Middle East policy a year later.
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As for nObama, despite his oft-stated claim that “all option remain on the table” for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, any thought that he might be serious became patently absurd after he sided with the regime during the 2009 Green Revolution that followed its falsification of the results of the presidential elections.
As for nObama, despite his oft-stated claim that “all option remain on the table” for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, any thought that he might be serious became patently absurd after he sided with the regime during the 2009 Green Revolution that followed its falsification of the results of the presidential elections.
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None of this, however, made an impression on the security brass. Led by the Mossad, for more than a decade our senior commanders insisted that Israel could trust the US on Iran.
None of this, however, made an impression on the security brass. Led by the Mossad, for more than a decade our senior commanders insisted that Israel could trust the US on Iran.
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Last week Russia announced that it will sell Sukhoi Su-30 combat fighters to Iran. According to former senior Pentagon official Stephen Bryen, the sale will tip the strategic balance in the Persian Gulf in Iran’s favor and over time, give Iran “an answer to Israel’s air power.”
Last week Russia announced that it will sell Sukhoi Su-30 combat fighters to Iran. According to former senior Pentagon official Stephen Bryen, the sale will tip the strategic balance in the Persian Gulf in Iran’s favor and over time, give Iran “an answer to Israel’s air power.”
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Iran’s acquisition of the Su-30s is but one of a panoply of weapons deals the regime has signed with suppliers since the sanctions regime was canceled last month. These sales, together with Iran’s clear path to nuclear capabilities mean that Iran’s rise to the position of regional hegemon is unimpeded.
Iran’s acquisition of the Su-30s is but one of a panoply of weapons deals the regime has signed with suppliers since the sanctions regime was canceled last month. These sales, together with Iran’s clear path to nuclear capabilities mean that Iran’s rise to the position of regional hegemon is unimpeded.
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This then brings us to Israel’s options, moving forward. Amazingly, it would seem that Israel continues to take its signals on Iran from the Americans.
This then brings us to Israel’s options, moving forward. Amazingly, it would seem that Israel continues to take its signals on Iran from the Americans.
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After all, at least on the surface, Israel’s security establishment and our political leaders seem most concerned today with concluding a deal for supplemental US military assistance in the wake of nObama’s nuclear deal with Iran.
After all, at least on the surface, Israel’s security establishment and our political leaders seem most concerned today with concluding a deal for supplemental US military assistance in the wake of nObama’s nuclear deal with Iran.
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Perhaps a reassessment is overdue.
Perhaps a reassessment is overdue.
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If Iran’s empowerment is now more or less a done deal, then the nature of the regime becomes the central variable that it may still be possible to change.
If Iran’s empowerment is now more or less a done deal, then the nature of the regime becomes the central variable that it may still be possible to change.
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In the years that preceded the 2009 Green Revolution in Iran, a small group of former Mossad officers joined forces with a small group of American Iran experts in beseeching the government – and first and foremost the Mossad – to support the Iranian opposition in its bid to overthrow the regime. These calls were ratcheted up throughout the months of the Green Revolution in 2009 and early 2010.
In the years that preceded the 2009 Green Revolution in Iran, a small group of former Mossad officers joined forces with a small group of American Iran experts in beseeching the government – and first and foremost the Mossad – to support the Iranian opposition in its bid to overthrow the regime. These calls were ratcheted up throughout the months of the Green Revolution in 2009 and early 2010.
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These Iran experts argued that all Israel needed to do was provide secure communications to the opposition to enable its members to organize effectively, and to broadcast their messages to the public in Iran through radio, television and Internet servers maintained abroad.
These Iran experts argued that all Israel needed to do was provide secure communications to the opposition to enable its members to organize effectively, and to broadcast their messages to the public in Iran through radio, television and Internet servers maintained abroad.
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Arming Iran’s many disaffected groups, including the Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Ahwaz Arabs, unions and women, wouldn’t be necessary, they said, although it certainly would be helpful. They argued further that from Israel’s perspective, helping the opposition made sense even if the opposition failed to overthrow the regime. After all, the more time the regime was forced to devote to fending off challenges from home, the less time it would have to wage its campaigns against Israel directly and through its terrorist proxies.
Arming Iran’s many disaffected groups, including the Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds, Ahwaz Arabs, unions and women, wouldn’t be necessary, they said, although it certainly would be helpful. They argued further that from Israel’s perspective, helping the opposition made sense even if the opposition failed to overthrow the regime. After all, the more time the regime was forced to devote to fending off challenges from home, the less time it would have to wage its campaigns against Israel directly and through its terrorist proxies.
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These calls were dismissed out of hand by the security establishment. Our intelligence services in particular insisted that Israel could trust Washington to deal with Iran. Moreover, they maintained, Israel didn’t have a real dog in the fight over who leads Iran. This despite the fact that Israel is surprisingly popular among Iran’s citizenry, over a million of whom regularly listened to Voice of Israel Farsi broadcasts.
These calls were dismissed out of hand by the security establishment. Our intelligence services in particular insisted that Israel could trust Washington to deal with Iran. Moreover, they maintained, Israel didn’t have a real dog in the fight over who leads Iran. This despite the fact that Israel is surprisingly popular among Iran’s citizenry, over a million of whom regularly listened to Voice of Israel Farsi broadcasts.
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Six years on, there is no doubt that regime opponents are weaker than they were on the eve of the Green Revolution. But even today in the wake of the nuclear deal, they are far from a spent force.
Six years on, there is no doubt that regime opponents are weaker than they were on the eve of the Green Revolution. But even today in the wake of the nuclear deal, they are far from a spent force.
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The regime continues to fear the Iranian people – which continues to hate it – more than it fears anything else. This is why the regime rejected some 90% of the candidates running in the national elections later this month. This is why the regime outlawed every direct and indirect reference to Valentine’s Day this week.
The regime continues to fear the Iranian people – which continues to hate it – more than it fears anything else. This is why the regime rejected some 90% of the candidates running in the national elections later this month. This is why the regime outlawed every direct and indirect reference to Valentine’s Day this week.
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This is why politically driven arrests and executions have increased massively since the supposedly reformist president Hassan Rouhani came to power in 2013.
This is why politically driven arrests and executions have increased massively since the supposedly reformist president Hassan Rouhani came to power in 2013.
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THE NEED FOR the IDF to open itself up to unorthodox views manifested itself in a seemingly unrelated incident this week.
THE NEED FOR the IDF to open itself up to unorthodox views manifested itself in a seemingly unrelated incident this week.
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On Sunday Channel 2 broadcast footage of IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Rafi Peretz dancing at a wedding with a rabbi identified with the far Right.
On Sunday Channel 2 broadcast footage of IDF Chief Rabbi Brig.-Gen. Rafi Peretz dancing at a wedding with a rabbi identified with the far Right.
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Following the report, the IDF Spokesman’s Office announced that Rabbi Peretz had been summoned to the office of OC Manpower Maj.-Gen. Hagai Topolanski for clarifications.
Following the report, the IDF Spokesman’s Office announced that Rabbi Peretz had been summoned to the office of OC Manpower Maj.-Gen. Hagai Topolanski for clarifications.
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The IDF’s response is alarming for the message it sends the officer corps and through it, to the security community as a whole. That message is that it is unacceptable for officers to have any contacts – let along an intellectual exchanges – with people who stand beyond a narrow spectrum of views.
The IDF’s response is alarming for the message it sends the officer corps and through it, to the security community as a whole. That message is that it is unacceptable for officers to have any contacts – let along an intellectual exchanges – with people who stand beyond a narrow spectrum of views.
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This is bad enough for the elitist social message it sends. But given the threat environment Israel faces, narrowly defining the boundaries of permitted social and intellectual contacts is dangerous.
This is bad enough for the elitist social message it sends. But given the threat environment Israel faces, narrowly defining the boundaries of permitted social and intellectual contacts is dangerous.
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Today Israel is facing complex, multifaceted security challenges that exist and grow in an equally complex, multifaceted diplomatic environment. To develop the means of dealing with the challenges, our security establishment needs to cultivate a permissive intellectual climate among our commanders that rewards free thinking and promotes free thinkers.
Today Israel is facing complex, multifaceted security challenges that exist and grow in an equally complex, multifaceted diplomatic environment. To develop the means of dealing with the challenges, our security establishment needs to cultivate a permissive intellectual climate among our commanders that rewards free thinking and promotes free thinkers.
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Perhaps that retired Mossad commander was just a blowhard. Perhaps he was giving an accurate accounting of the intellectual climate in the senior ranks of Israel’s national security establishment. In all likelihood, the truth lays somewhere in the middle.
Perhaps that retired Mossad commander was just a blowhard. Perhaps he was giving an accurate accounting of the intellectual climate in the senior ranks of Israel’s national security establishment. In all likelihood, the truth lays somewhere in the middle.
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But what is clear enough is that the time has come to air out the ranks of our national defense establishment.
But what is clear enough is that the time has come to air out the ranks of our national defense establishment.
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Our senior commanders need to reassess their operational assumptions in order to develop plans going forward that are based on a broad spectrum of ideas.
Our senior commanders need to reassess their operational assumptions in order to develop plans going forward that are based on a broad spectrum of ideas.
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