Former senior IDF field commanders and legal experts have appealed to Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and Military Advocate General Itai Ofir, calling for full backing for the activities of security forces in Judea and Samaria.
The appeal comes in response to criticism from academics who, according to the signatories, cast doubt on the actions of soldiers confronting terrorism.
According to the initiators, the criticism relies on tendentious publications and is intended to exert improper pressure on law enforcement authorities. They further claimed it forms part of a smear campaign against IDF fighters by senior media figures.
The letter stated that “attempts to initially cast a legal cloud over military activities create a chilling effect on the actions of security forces, and harm deterrence and national resilience."
Among the signatories are Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez Wiener, Col. (res.) Gabi Siboni, Lt. Col. (res.) Adv. Maurice Hirsch, and attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.
The authors emphasized the need for clear backing of operational activity on the ground. The letter was initiated by attorney Yiska Bina, head of the Movement for Governability and Democracy and author of research on High Court intervention in security matters. Copies were also sent to Police Commissioner Danny Levy and to the head of the Police Internal Investigations Department, Keren Bar-Menachem.