Weekly Commentary: IDF COS Eizenkot Disturbing Misunderstanding of Civilian
Role In Decision Making
Dr. Aaron Lerner 19 July, 2018

Civics 101: The military implements the decisions made by the civilian
leadership.

That doesn't mean that the civilian leadership micro-manages the military.

But it does mean that the civilian leadership makes the important policy and
operational decisions.

And these decisions shouldn't be binary in nature with the military
presenting only the one option they advocate.

It appears that this is what's been happening with few exceptions when the
security cabinet meets to discuss the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

This failure has not been as important for the handling of Syria since in
that case IDF COS Eizenkot has most definitely been providing the civilian
leadership excellent proposals to approve.

What's distressing is that the same excellence appears to be missing on the
other fronts where an ongoing reluctance in the IDF to equip the civilian
decision makers with a hefty portfolio of options has shackled us to the
preferences of the IDF. This while the security cabinet has indefinitely
postponed any serious consideration of alternatives that have been proposed
by members of the security cabinet.

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