Death of a Hero of the Golani Brigade Marks the Risks and Gallantry of Israel’s Officers-at-the-Front Combat Doctrine

The death of Colonel Yitzhak Ben Basat in Gaza provides a tragic illustration of Israel’s unique ethos of combat leadership that not only sets the IDF apart from other armies but also serves as a key element of its battlefield success. Colonel Ben Basat, known by the nom de guerre “BenBa,” commanded the forward headquarters element of the Golani Infantry Brigade, one of the IDF’s most storied units. He was killed alongside the commander of Golani’s 13th Battalion, Tomer Greenberg, during a ferocious firefight against Hamas terrorists in the Shejaiya suburb of Gaza City.Shejaiya holds particular significance to Golani because, in 2014, it was the scene of a costly engagement that cost the lives of seven soldiers during the campaign known as Cast Lead. This time, Golani’s brigade commander insisted that his unit should be the one tasked with extirpating Hamas terrorists, tunnels, and fortifications in that area. It was payback for the Golani Brigade.The battle evolved into a messy house-to-house fight around the Shejaiya Casba, complete with boobytrapped buildings and snipers positioned by Hamas on rooftops. A total of nine Israeli soldiers died before the neighborhood was cleared.Israeli soldiers at Gaza City’s Shijaiyah neighborhood, December 8, 2023. AP/Moti Milrod, HaaretzThese casualties are the consequence of the Israeli doctrine of warfighting that revolves around senior officers who position themselves not at the rear-echelon but at the sharp end of battle, shoulder-to-shoulder with the soldiers they command. Israel is not the only country that does this — think, America — but it follows the doctrine to great effect.The presence of senior commanders at the frontlines not only inspires the troops but also enables on-the-spot adaptation to shifting battlefield conditions without cumbersome reporting lines to higher headquarters. The price in lives exacted by this atypical combat leadership doctrine is reflected in the IDF’s casualty figures. Since the morning of October 7, five brigade commanders and eight battalion commanders — full colonels and lieutenants colonel, respectively — have fallen for their country in combat. Another 34 majors, 39 captains, and 41 lieutenants have been killed in the fighting as well.This means that one out of every four Israeli soldiers killed in action has come from the ranks of its commissioned officers. And counting. Yet despite this disproportionate death toll among its commanders, the Israeli army has long believed that the benefits of its leadership doctrine outweigh its costs.From their first day of basic training, Israeli combat soldiers are taught that their commanders will stand beside them to share in the risks of close-quarters battle. Every IDF leadership course, from squad leader to brigade commander, stresses how it’s more ethical and more effective to pull troops forward from in front rather than push them forward from behind.The IDF’s unique lead-from-the-front ethos also reflects itself more broadly throughout Israeli society where service as an officer, pilot, or special forces operator confers considerable social prestige. This explains why so many of Israel’s political and business elites have serious military backgrounds.So, it comes as no surprise that the sons of those senior leaders follow in the footsteps of their famous fathers despite the dangers inherent to frontline combat.Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot is one of those senior leaders. He began his military service as a rifleman in the Golani Brigade, rising to the pinnacle of the IDF as its 21st Chief of the General Staff with the rank of Lieutenant General.After the end of his term as staff chief and his discharge from the army, Mr. Eizenkot embarked on a new career as a business executive. In December 2022, he won a seat in the Knesset as a representative of the centrist National Unity party. After the October 7 attacks, National Unity joined Prime Minister Netanyahu’s expanded emergency government and Mr. Eizenkot became a minister without portfolio.In other words, Mr. Eizenkot is a quintessential member of Israel’s social and economic elite. Yet his children did not exploit their family background to shirk their duty. Quite the opposite. They volunteered for the IDF’s most selective — and dangerous — units.On December 7, Mr. Eizenkot’s youngest son, Sergeant Gal Meir, was killed while clearing a booby-trapped tunnel in Gaza. The following day, his nephew, Meor Cohen, died while fighting in Gaza with the same Golani Brigade unit where Mr. Eizenkot began his military career.

Death of a Hero of the Golani Brigade Marks the Risks and Gallantry of Israel’s Officers-at-the-Front Combat Doctrine

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