The old pact between Israel’s government and military has broken down

What the report says

Al Jazeera opinion writer Ehab Jabareen argues that the long war following the October 7 attacks has changed the relationship between Israel’s elected leaders and its military. The article says disputes that were once handled privately are now unfolding in public, with recent friction between Defence Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Major-General Avi Bluth in the occupied West Bank serving as a prominent example.

According to the piece, the dispute reflects a broader shift in which political leaders are pressing the army to deliver outcomes they define, while senior officers are increasingly pushed to accept goals shaped by coalition politics and public pressure. Jabareen says this differs from the older model, in which military assessments helped set practical limits on what governments could ask for during conflict.

The article places the issue in the context of a war that has lasted nearly three years, making decisions about reservists, hostages, military pressure and occupation harder to separate from politics. It says the absence of a shared definition of victory has intensified disagreements over what counts as success, who should bear responsibility for the campaign, and when it should end. The piece argues that this public breakdown matters because it can weaken coherent decision-making and deepen uncertainty for Israeli society and those carrying out the war.