Ethics Now

The investigations into the failure of October 7 that will be presented to us over the coming weeks, will naturally focus on the failures of command conduct. We will hear details regarding the manner of preparation, the disregard for critical information accumulated by various factors, and the lack of response to distress calls from the surrounding area around the Gaza Strip. Amid an abundance of details, we will repeatedly ask how organizational blindness blocked the commanders’ understanding the early signs and the mental barrier that prevented real-time comprehension of the dimensions of the atrocity occurring behind the fence in the kibbutzim. Based on past experience, we may assume that the investigation, will focus entirely on the formal, visible layer: decision-making processes, event management, information flow, communication, and coordination between headquarters and the field. All of these are indeed essential.

However, the conduct at the formal level reflects what is hidden from view, the commanders’ perceptions and assumptions regarding their role, responsibilities, and missions. And these are what shape the organizational reality. Consequently, it is not sufficient to merely analyze the patterns of action at the visible level, rather it is essential to deepen the investigation and to examine the professional rationale of the senior ranks that underpinned their choices and decisions. A thorough investigation should consider not just what happened, but why it happened, including the organizational culture and ethical framework within which decisions were made.

The evaluation of conduct must be aligned with the ethical compass of the IDF Spirit, which defines what constitutes appropriate professional behavior in routine and emergency situations.

The IDF Spirit – the compass and the ruler

The format of military operations is anchored in the ethical code “The IDF Spirit.” The IDF’s ethical guidelines reflect the appropriate professional conduct within the military profession. The code clarifies the role of values and fundamental principles that should guide the IDF, its commanders, units, and soldiers in shaping their patterns of action. The commanders are expected to “act, educate, and critique themselves and others” according to this code. In other words, it is the compass by which commanders are required to navigate their activities both in routine and emergency situations. The code also serves as the yardstick for evaluating which behaviors should have been exhibited in a given situation.

The perception of what constitutes appropriate professional conduct is not, therefore, subject to the morality or subjective interpretation of any particular commander but must be anchored in fundamental principles. Practically speaking, commanders need to adhere to the compass, deeply understand its values, and continually evaluate whether they have acted correctly and appropriately in alignment with the values and priorities of the IDF spirit.

The answer to the question of how one should have acted in a given situation must, therefore, be reasoned and grounded in ethical rules, and professional norms, and reflect a deep knowledge and understanding of their priorities.

Hence, it is necessary to consider how senior ranks understand and interpret IDF values such as: ‘responsibility’, ‘professionalism’, ‘adherence to mission’, and ‘human life’, and how these values are practically applied in the field. The significance of this examination lies in exposing entrenched paradigms and assumptions which undermine IDF rules of ethics.

Gaps between the declared and what happens on the ground

Research in organizational behavior confirms that attitudes, schemes and perceptions that emerge within professional peer groups take root over time as professional opinions that define the “truth” and “reality” within an organization, even though they may not be based on objective findings. The entrenchment of these perceptions and agreements in the organizational consciousness as unquestionable “basic assumptions” can reduce commanders’ awareness and sensitivity to the ethical principles, values, and norms established by the organization. The organizational context is not rigid. Goals, processes, and patterns of action reflect the interpretation and understanding of the organization’s leaders regarding their roles and missions. Exposing these aspects will help understand the gaps between the declared—IDF spirit—and what happens on the ground and identify what needs to be focused on to bring about the desired change.

Addressing ethics education now!

The expectation that commanders will internalize the ethical principles and express them in their daily routines renders the heads of the military system responsible for properly equipping them with the real knowledge and skills they need in the same way they are equipped with knowledge and skills for combat.

The assimilation of values into command consciousness and decision-making processes is not a task that can be just crossed off a checklist before moving on, but rather must be an ongoing educational process that should take place throughout a commander’s military career. Addressing ethics requires the creation of a broad intellectual infrastructure and elaborated thinking and decision-making skills that parallel commanders’ hierarchical advancement. This is a challenging task in an organization system that primarily exalts the ‘doers’ – those who excel in practice and in realizing the operational ethos.

The professional integrity of the IDF is of utmost importance. This integrity is anchored in the effective embedding of ethical rules in command consciousness and practices. The deviation from ethical and professional norms revealed on October 7 raises practical questions regarding the effectiveness of ethics education within the IDF: Is it a matter of commanders struggling to translate values into daily routines? Do these deviations reflect deficiencies in the structuring and management of ethics education processes? And what steps are needed to integrate ethics into command practices?

Investigating the causes of the terrible failure will take time. It is crucial to place the focus on ethics education on the IDF agenda right now: to conduct a thorough self-examination, to check paradigms and processes, and to ensure the internalization of ethical values and rules in the command consciousness and in routine activities.