For months, videos circulating on social media have depicted a parallel war to that of official statements. Soldiers taking selfies in front of destroyed houses, troops joking with civilian goods, and the flaunting of religious or political symbols on uniforms. Today, General Eyal Zamir's speech at the Ramat David base sounds like a resounding "dismissal" towards ethical anarchy, but raises an inevitable question in Israel and abroad: why only now?
Zamir's Thermal Shock: "This is not the IDF"
In front of a silent audience of commanders, Zamir showed the dark side of the "TikTok War." The reference is not only to formal discipline but to a true ideological drift.
- The discord patches: The mention of patches with "Enough hate, it's time for violence" or the "Messiah" symbols is not an aesthetic detail. In the Hebrew press (like Haaretz), this is seen as a sign of the infiltration of extremist ideologies into the ranks.
- Looting as a "trophy": Reports of motorcycles, carpets, and televisions looted from southern Lebanon have begun to crack the myth of "purity of arms" (Tohar HaNeshek), a pillar of Israeli identity.
A Delay Under International Scrutiny
When analyzing sources in English and Hebrew, the concept of "recall delay" clearly emerges. Many analysts suggest that Zamir's harshness is not only due to a moral jolt but to a strategic necessity: with the attention of the International Court of Justice focused on every move, videos of soldiers destroying religious statues or stealing goods become devastating documentary evidence. The recall comes when the damage — legal and image-wise — has already become systemic.
The "Zamir Doctrine": Zero Tolerance
To try to recover lost ground, the Chief of Staff has imposed a strict line:
- Absolute ban on uniforms in political or private videos on social media.
- Immediate removal of unofficial patches.
- Creation of a special body to criminally handle looting cases.
- Officer accountability: "Where was the brigade commander?" Zamir pressed.
Conclusion
Zamir's speech is a necessary act of courage, but it comes after thousands of images have already cemented a perception of impunity. It remains to be seen if this recall is enough to heal a chain of command that has looked the other way for too long, because in a hierarchical structure it is difficult to suddenly demand the discipline of schoolgirls from those who have been allowed to act with an iron fist in the shadow of the silence of the top ranks.
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