The Hate of Haaretz and its blatant lies against the IDF

Throughout my extensive IDF service, I have never received an illegal order and always avoided harming civilians.

My name is Tuvia Book I proudly serve in the Israel Defense Forces, currently as a combat medic on the Gaza front. I am sick of hearing all the talk around me and reading the patently false articles in Haaretz. In fact, embracing anti-Israel and anti IDF reports without question or proper fact-checking seems to be the standard practice for Haaretz. The latest rant is about the “killing fields” at aid distribution sites in Gaza. According to Haaretz, soldiers are receiving orders to fire at unarmed civilians. This is patently not true. This is not the first time that Haaretz, with just 5% of newspaper circulation in Israel, has caused outrage with its lies in its home market.

I served in Lebanon, in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria. I was a soldier in a front-line combat unit. I have served for many years in miluim (reserve duty). I went through rigorous training and took many courses in the army. I participated in numerous military operations in all areas of our state and beyond her borders, and I must declare that I never received an “illegal order.”

I never took part in any activity that deliberately harmed innocent civilians. Every briefing I participated in before going out on a mission, no matter how small or large, stressed the importance of guarding the values of the IDF. I am extremely proud of my own service and of all those who serve with me. I am privileged to be with the best of the best of the people of Israel.

I am proud of our state, of its open democracy. I think that there is a way and space to speak and have an opinion on what happens in the state and in the IDF. The way is not through lies or financial support of foreign countries and organizations and dragging the name of the State of Israel, its army and its citizens through the mud.

The IDF does make mistakes and there is room to criticize the IDF, but the criticism should be made fairly and honestly. Namely, to provide all known information and sources to the IDF’s investigative bodies, who do their job, honestly and faithfully, of investigating every case that oversteps the boundaries of the commands and spirit of the IDF.

Haaretz’s false claims in its articles are anonymous, with no identifying information, nor are they delivered to the IDF’s investigative bodies, rather written as is, totally unverified, and gleefully seized upon by international bodies and media organizations (Al Jazeera, BBC, NPR, The Guardian etc) hostile to Israel and the IDF. Haaretz seems to take pleasure in spreading these malicious stories. Haaretz on key issues consistently embraces the enemy’s propaganda and serves as an international hub for disseminating its lies against Israel. Which raises the question of whose side the paper stands in this war: Israel or its enemies?

Additionally, despite clear statements from the United States that it is Hamas and not Israel that is obstructing a hostage deal, Haaretz continues to harshly criticize the Israeli government, giving Hamas hope that Israel might succumb to pressure, thereby harming efforts to retrieve the hostages.

During my IDF service, not harming innocent civilians was and is always in the front of my mind. I would rather die myself than kill innocent civilians and have to live with myself.

Colonel Richard Kemp, CBE, a preeminent British military expert, who was the Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan noted that:

The Israeli army have taken greater steps than any other army in the history of warfare to minimize the harm to innocent civilians in a combat zone.

The reality of the IDF is the mirror opposite of the image that is projected by Haaretz.

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Tuvia is currently serving as an IDF combat medic on the Gaza front. He is currently on his seventh deployment since October 7.  His latest book, “Jewish Journeys, The First Temple Period” (Koren:2025) is now available.