Being a fighter in Hebron is not easy. The professional challenge is one of the most complicated: to protect several hundred Jews who live next to tens of thousands of Palestinians against the threat of terrorism and violence amid incessant provocations from all sides. The physical conditions are not easy either: the shifts are cold, rainy, long, and tiring.
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This is a well-known fact, which is why the IDF always makes sure to place high-quality soldiers and experienced and balanced commanders in the city. By serving in Hebron, fighters are not only taught a lesson in what it means to be part of the military but also about power and its limitations, especially when it comes to complicated situations in Judea and Samaria.
With the exception of the Temple Mount, Hebron is probably the biggest flashpoint site in the region: a city with Hamas members on its Palestinian side and deeply ideological right-wingers on its Jewish side.
It has a rich history of tragedies, from the 1929 massacre of over 67 Jewish residents by Arabs, through the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre of Palestinians by Baruch Goldstein, to a series of horrific attacks, such as the murder of 10-month old Shalhevet Pass by a Palestinian sniper and the 2002 Hebron ambush, in which 12 Jewish worshippers and soldiers, led by Col. Dror Weinberg, were killed.
The historical background is vital to understand Hebron, which is why every fighter chosen to be stationed in the city must be educated in order to understand the complexity that awaits ahead. Besides the training skills, soldiers must also be trained on how to deal with any situation that might arise, and how to hold back when necessary.
The footage of Friday's clashes between IDF fighters and left-wing activists in Hebron shows that something in the Givati Brigade's Tsabar Battalion has gone awry.
True, the activists arrived in the city to cause provocation, but that doesn't mean that a soldier can punch a civilian and another can shout political slogans at the camera.
Something has gone awry in the values of the battalion, and perhaps even on a larger scale. As such, the IDF must finally do what it has avoided for years: return to the basics, to clarify what is allowed and what is forbidden.
This is what then-IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot did in the Elor Azaria shooting, and although he was highly criticized at the time, the soldiers understood that even at a time of an intifada, there are rules.
This is also what is expected of current chief Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, who will be stepping down in two months, and precisely against the background of the expected confrontation between the top security forces and elements in the incoming government, he is required more than ever to make sure that the IDF does what is required โ to win and remain human.
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