The investigative report into the commander of the 252nd Division, Brig. Gen. Yehuda Vach, above all reveals the confusion that exists in today's Israel Defense Forces between the army's goals, regulations and values, and the personal worldviews of its senior commanders, who dictate alternative goals and an alternative culture of warfare that pointlessly endangers IDF soldiers and results in indiscriminate fire on civilians in the Gaza Strip, including children.
Vach was born and raised in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba and attended the Bnei David premilitary academy in another West Bank settlement, Eli. In August, he was appointed commander of the 252nd Division, which operated in Gaza's Netzarim corridor.
In Kubovich's investigative report, a long list of officers and soldiers describe Vach as someone who acts rashly, and whose conduct even led to the deaths of eight reservists when he pushed them to move forward without the area first being cleared of bombs and terrorists. "He drove the 16th Brigade crazy over reaching the northernmost road," said one officer who fought under him. "It was done without suitable tools, without engineering units, without other necessary troops."
Vach also was the focus of an investigative report published two weeks ago that revealed the arbitrariness and banality with which Palestinians are killed in the Netzarim corridor. In addition, it revealed how every dead Palestinian is counted as a terrorist. Quite a few of the incidents described in that earlier report took place while Vach presided over the Netzarim corridor.
Now, additional evidence has emerged that Vach follows an alternative set of laws. For instance, he set his soldiers the goal of removing some 250,000 Palestinians from northern Gaza. "Only by losing land will the Palestinians learn the necessary lesson," he said.
Vach also had his own agenda with regard to the humanitarian aid sent to Gaza. He told his subordinates that "in his opinion, not one truck should enter. That we needed to make things hard on the convoys that entered and harass them." He also told them "there are no innocents in Gaza." And according to one officer who was present, that wasn't said as a personal opinion, but "as an operational doctrine – they're all terrorists."
Moreover, Vach brought his brother, Col. (res.) Golan Vach, into the area controlled by his division. His brother commanded a small force known as Pladot Heavy Engineering Equipment. "It was a team of soldiers and civilians who look like hilltop youth," one officer said. "The force's sole objective was to demolish Gaza."
Vach's conduct shows that the army's senior commanders have completely lost control. It also reveals their consent – even if only tacit – to the fact that units are operating independently, a kind of army within an army.
The IDF must investigate Vach's conduct and bar him from any senior command position. In any such position, he would endanger his soldiers with his lack of caution, as well as civilian residents of Gaza, whose lives he views as cheap.