IDF Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir spoke at an appreciation event for donors to the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers, promising a response to the 'Naza' film which alleges misconduct on the part of the IDF.
"The expression ‘all of Israel is responsible for one another’ is also the deepest expression of the individual’s responsibility for the wellbeing of the entire nation," Zamir said. "This important principle is reflected in the attempts to slander IDF troops and commanders in various ways, through the use of baseless lies and manipulations."
"This is a national and international mission, and we must uphold it on every platform and in the face of every claim, and say clearly: The IDF is the most moral military in the world. In the face of deliberate attacks on our civilians, in the face of a barbaric assault deliberately targeted at a civilian population, and in the face of missiles launched at our cities, we adhere to the values of the IDF and to international law, and do everything in our power to avoid harm to innocent civilians."
On Monday, Zamir held a consultation on "NAZA," following allegations against the IDF presented in promotional material for the film.
The consultation was attended by Deputy Chief of Staff MG Tamir Yadai, Head of the Operations Directorate MG Itzik Cohen, Military Advocate General MG Itai Ofir, Israeli Air Force Commander MG Omer Tishler, Commander of Unit 8200 BG A., IDF Spokesman BG Effie Defrin, and additional commanders.
"Based on what has been published thus far, this is not a film offering criticism of the IDF, nor is it an attempt to establish the truth," Zamir said. "It is based on blood libels, deliberate distortions of reality, and grave, false accusations against IDF soldiers and commanders."
"This is an attack on the State of Israel, not only on the IDF. It adopts the narratives of those who hate Israel, it defames our soldiers and commanders, and seeks to portray the IDF as deliberately acting unlawfully," he added, warning that the film represents "a dangerous attempt to deny us the legitimacy to defend ourselves against the worst of our enemies-and, in doing so, to place IDF soldiers and commanders at genuine risk."
The Chief of Staff stressed that the IDF operates in accordance with international law, the IDF’s ethical code and values, and works to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians, and noted that the ratio of civilian casualties to terrorists is significantly lower than that of other militaries around the world.
“We will not allow IDF soldiers to be made targets through lies and blood libels," Zamir stated. “Such an attempt must be confronted decisively, using every tool at our disposal-legal, command, and public diplomacy."