Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez Winner, chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF) (The Bitchonistim), spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about the current state of the IDF and how Israel should address the threats posed by its surrounding enemies.
Winner recently said that while IDF soldiers have demonstrated exceptional bravery and commitment on the battlefield, the military’s official guiding principles must be reinforced. He stressed that his criticism was not directed at combat soldiers, whom he described as displaying “extremely high values," but rather at decisions made by senior IDF leadership regarding the army’s stated core values.
“The values that are missing are not in the troops in the field," Winner said. “What we have seen over the past two and a half years is extremely high values by every definition. What I am referring to is what comes from above."
Winner argued that the IDF has changed its list of core values several times over recent decades, claiming that concepts such as love of country, victory, and mission accomplishment were weakened or removed, while other values influenced by political correctness and postmodern approaches were introduced.
According to Winner, these changes did not become embedded in soldiers’ thinking, and the war that followed the October 7 massacre demonstrated that traditional values remained deeply rooted among IDF troops.
“Although there was an attempt to suppress Judaism, the core values that we want our soldiers to bring with them and have on the battlefield - we saw them flourishing from below," he said.
Winner added that military leadership must provide official support for the values soldiers already demonstrate in practice.
“I believe in the Torah. I believe in military doctrine as well. Although we see our soldiers behaving in the right way, I want us to teach them in the right way," he said.
Addressing the integration of women into combat positions, Winner said the issue should be examined primarily through the lens of military effectiveness rather than equality.
“It all starts with what your core value is," he said. “If your core value is that everyone has to be equal, which is very important when you are talking about a university or a workplace environment, then that is one thing. But in the military, there is one overriding value - victory."
Winner cited the experience of other militaries, particularly the US military, arguing that attempts to integrate women into combat units have raised challenges related to physical demands and unit cohesion.
“When you live in the same APC or stay together in a house in Gaza or Lebanon, you bring all kinds of issues that can eventually affect the ability to win - or to remain focused on winning the war," he said.
Turning to the ongoing war in Gaza and the broader regional conflict, Winner said Israel has changed its understanding of how wars must be won.
“For a very long time, we believed that if we simply did nothing, the other side would behave the same way," he said, referring to previous policies based on economic incentives and limited engagement intended to prevent terrorism.
“Today, especially after October 7, the new concept is to fight a decisive war and prevent our enemies from having the ability to harm us."
Winner argued that Israel must maintain security control over the Gaza Strip and establish security zones in Lebanon and Syria. He also rejected calls from the international community to involve the Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza.
“The Palestinian Authority is armed and dangerous, and it has armed terrorists who call themselves policemen," he said, warning that Israel could face another major attack if the issue is not addressed in advance.
Winner said Israel must confront what he described as armed elements within the Palestinian Authority, while also addressing issues such as education and incitement.
“As long as they continue teaching the incitement that they are teaching, we will never be able to solve the problem we are facing," he concluded. He added that immigration should also be considered as part of any future approach toward Judea and Samaria.