Excellent questions. I'm not saying that the story isn't technically true. I'm saying that because of the obvious bias of +972, that their narative is one-sided and dangerous. There are the facts, and then there is the interpretation of the facts, both of which appear in the article. I would prefer to read the story from a more even-handed paper.
> Why would these people have such important jobs within the military if they are so anti-Israel?
Soldiers are not screened for philosophical or nationalistic biases when they join intelligence or elite cyber units. They are only screened for capability, and patriotism is assumed. This has led to many anti-Zionists serving in very senior positions in the army. I've personally heard senior IDF officer rail against the religion and the country.
> 1. What drove the IDF's intelligence failure on Hamas activity before Oct 7?
Multiple factors. The social turmoil from the Judicial Reform fiasco definitely weakened us, as many left-wing intel personnel refused to serve, while others kept serving but stopped doing their jobs. Hamas also played an excellent game, keeping their mission secret amongst top commanders until the morning of Oct 7. I believe that our agencies had all the pieces of the puzzle, but since they weren't talking to each other, they didn't put it together until it had already happened. If Israel wants to survive (speaking as a resident and a soldier), then the entire intel apparatus has to be overhauled. Otherwise, we will be visiting the gas chambers quite soon.
> 2. With or without intelligence, why was the IDF unable to defend such an important security zone? One that I'd argue is world class, in terms of technology, troops, and arms.
Also, there are a few reasons. The soldiers there had been lulled into a sense of false security, and they paid for it with their lives. Most of them (about 350) were wiped out within the first hour or two. Again, Hamas played an excellent game. They brought a fully-automatic grenade launcher with an enormous amount of ammo and annihilated one base within a few minutes. That took out most of the infantry in the area. Meanwhile the pilots were not able to get into the air because of the Judicial Reform fiasco. They had not flown in 6 months out of protest against the reform, and as such their planes had not been refuelled or used in any way, and were not operational. But most of all, the left-wing generals that dominate our army truly believed that we had entered an era where no more wars would be fought, despite there being zero evidence that this was the case. Hamas understood this, and used it against us to mount a flawless surprise attack.
I appreciate your input, I don't necessarily believe that it's all the fault of a few "left-wing" personnel. I have a lot of Israeli friends who are conservative like me, and I've never heard this. Even from guys who are IDF careerists.
> Why would these people have such important jobs within the military if they are so anti-Israel?
Soldiers are not screened for philosophical or nationalistic biases when they join intelligence or elite cyber units. They are only screened for capability, and patriotism is assumed. This has led to many anti-Zionists serving in very senior positions in the army. I've personally heard senior IDF officer rail against the religion and the country.
> 1. What drove the IDF's intelligence failure on Hamas activity before Oct 7?
Multiple factors. The social turmoil from the Judicial Reform fiasco definitely weakened us, as many left-wing intel personnel refused to serve, while others kept serving but stopped doing their jobs. Hamas also played an excellent game, keeping their mission secret amongst top commanders until the morning of Oct 7. I believe that our agencies had all the pieces of the puzzle, but since they weren't talking to each other, they didn't put it together until it had already happened. If Israel wants to survive (speaking as a resident and a soldier), then the entire intel apparatus has to be overhauled. Otherwise, we will be visiting the gas chambers quite soon.
> 2. With or without intelligence, why was the IDF unable to defend such an important security zone? One that I'd argue is world class, in terms of technology, troops, and arms.
Also, there are a few reasons. The soldiers there had been lulled into a sense of false security, and they paid for it with their lives. Most of them (about 350) were wiped out within the first hour or two. Again, Hamas played an excellent game. They brought a fully-automatic grenade launcher with an enormous amount of ammo and annihilated one base within a few minutes. That took out most of the infantry in the area. Meanwhile the pilots were not able to get into the air because of the Judicial Reform fiasco. They had not flown in 6 months out of protest against the reform, and as such their planes had not been refuelled or used in any way, and were not operational. But most of all, the left-wing generals that dominate our army truly believed that we had entered an era where no more wars would be fought, despite there being zero evidence that this was the case. Hamas understood this, and used it against us to mount a flawless surprise attack.