ANALYSIS

Israel Problem: When Military Retires

DR. YORAM PERI

Special to The Jewish News

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92

Friday, July 18, 1986

-

he trial of Brigadier
General Avraham Bar-Am
which began last Wednes-
day fortunately did not attract
much attention in the American
press. The fact, however, that a
respected Israeli general had
been allegedly involved in illegal
arms sales to Iran had shocking
repercussions in Israel.
Certainly the news is dis-
quieting, but even more impor-
tant, it uncovers a fundamental
problem with which Israel has to
cope: the predicament of citizens
in a democratic society who
must maintain a large military
and at the same time want to
avoid its unpleasant and unan-
ticipated consequences.
Ironically, it was to prevent
the emergence of a military
caste, with its own military
ethos and interests, that officers
of the Israel Defense Forces have
been retired young since the
early 50's. David Ben-Gurion,
the nation's first Prime Minister
and it's first defense minister, in-
troduced the "dual-career" prin-
ciple for the IDF officer corps.
When officers reached age 40
they would be demobilized, leav-
ing room for rising junior of-
ficers. Ben-Gurion believed that
IDF would thus keep its vitali-
ty and vigor.
The dual-career principle is
still enforced. But most officers
are conditioned workaholics;
they may have led tens of
thousands of people, command-
ed highly sophisticated organi-
zations and managed multi-
million dollar budgets. Once
demobilized they cannot easily
be expected to write their
memoirs or grow oranges in the
kibbutz.
Instead, they infiltrate into
the civilian work forces. In the
late 50's and early 60's, a period
characterized by economic ex-
pansion, dozens of generals and
colonels were absorbed by
Israel's emerging industries. In
the late 60's and the early 70's,
Bonn (JTA) — The Bundestag
the victorious generals of the
last week asked the Bonn
Six-Day War of 1967 — Yizhak
government for detailed infor-
Rabin and Haim Bar Lev, Ezer
mation about groups or in-
Weizmann and Arik Sharon —
dividuals that have received
all moved into politics replacing
reparations for their losses and
the aging founding fathers of the
suffering under the Nazi regime,
State.
exactly how much was paid and
The availability of military ex-
whether any group of persecutes
pertise was one of the factors
has been excluded in advance
that enhanced the development
from receiving reparations.
of the Israeli defense economy.
West Germany has paid more
than 100 billion marks in repara-
tions to Israel and several Euro-
pean countries for material
Professor Peri is the author
losses, to Jewish and other
of Between Battles and
groups and to large numbers of
Ballots: Israeli Military in
individuals, mainly Jews, since
Politics. He is currently a
the end of World War II.
visiting scholar at Harvard
The Bundestag inquiry, in the
University's Center for Jew-
name of the ruling Christian
ish studies. He is the
Democratic Union Free Demo-
political analyst for the daily
cratic
Party coalition and the op-
Davar in Tel Aviv and was
position Social Democratic and
one of Prime Minister
Green parties, is in response to
Rabin's political advisors.
growing public criticism that

rank, have licenses from a
defense ministry to sell arms.
these only a small numbe
under a hundred, actually pral,
tice. The government has trie.,
to prevent Israeli citizens fror
becoming arms merchants, b
curtailing certificates from th
Defense Ministry, particular
to ex-military men who wish 6
trade on their military expertisi
and thus risk compromising sen
sitive information and contacts
Therefore any specific transac
tion which involves Israel direct
ly, needs explicit government.-
approval.
The government, howeverl

cannot prevent former Israeli of-

ficers,

some of whom live abroad,
from buying arms in the world
market and selling them to
anyone they choose— be it
rightist dictator or a left-wing
guerrilla group.
Israelis still hold their self-,'
image as "People of the Book,"
but given their beseiged cir-
cumstances, Israelis have also
become a nation that lives by
the sword. To defray thei.,
defense expenses, Israel pro-
duces and exports arms. Last
year, it was the sixth largest in-
ternational arms supplier.
This circumstance is a reluc-
tantly accepted fact of life for
most Israelis. But private pro-
fiteering is another matter.
When Bar-Am was first detain-
ed in Bermuda, a month ago,
there was a public outcry for
more government controls con-
cerning arms sales. Now, the
news is old, and other scandals
have captured the public's atten-
tion. The government would be
wise not to sweep this affair
under the rug and to legislate
more stringent controls without
delay.

Information On
Reparations Sought

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This industrial sector employs
about 25 percent of all industrial
manpower. Compared to $50
million worth of military.exports
in 1972, more than $800 million
in hardware was being exported
a decade later.
Since 1980, however, a new dif-
ficulty has emerged. Israel's
economy has slowed and its
political parties are saturated
with young, aspiring leaders.
Meanwhile the IDF has been ex-
panding, which means also retir-
ing even greater numbers of
high-ranking officers. Recent
cuts in the defense budget have
only intensified the difficulty. In
1984-85, 2,000 officers were
obliged to leave the standing
army. Another 2,000 will be re-
quired to leave active service
this year. As of this writing,
almost 600 officers, about 100 of
whom are generals and colonels,
have been allowed temporarily to
postpone their date of demob-
ilization, so that they can secure
new civilian occupations.
The evolution of Israel's
defense industry is generally
perceived as a plus by Israeli
public opinion. The develop-
ment, however, of the defense
economy has opened up another
field for retiring officers — the
international market in arms.
This is not favored by Israelis,
many of whom still hold to tradi-
tional Jewish repugnance for
commercial dealing with the
tools of death. Moreover, Israelis
know that many who seek to
buy arms are corrupt military
dictatorships in Latin America
or even declared enemies of
Israel such as the Ayatollah
Khomeini of Iran.
lbday about 800 former Israel
officers, most of whom hold high

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

little or no compensation has
been given Jewish and non-
Jewish slave laborers, Gypsies
and homosexuals, all victims of
persecution by the Third Reich.
According to leading Bund-
estag members, one objective is
to initiate new legislation to pay
reparations to slave laborers.
This would make thousands of
Jews, among others, eligible.
The Bundestag factions have
asked the government for data
on reparations paid by other
than federal institutions, such as
state government and special
funds. They also want informa-
tion about laws and other
regulations which served as the
basis for making reparations
monies available. This could lead
to tightening current procedures
for applying for reparations and
at the same time enlarge the
number of groups eligible for
them.

