Retired officer who already disclosed opinion of front-line troops that they’re losing says Israel is collapsing economically and societally
Yitzhak Brik, a retired Israeli army major general and ‘soldiers’ ombudsman’, has given an interview to Hebrew-language newspaper Ma’ariv in which he warns that Israel is in societal and economic collapse and that its military are losing in both Gaza and Lebanon.
Brik is known in the Israeli defence establishment as the ‘prophet of rage’ for his frank analysis of the country’s military and political failings. He has previously said plainly – in comments unreported by UK ‘mainstream’ media – that Israel has lost in Gaza and that front-line troops are telling him regularly that the Israeli military and politicians are lying to Israeli citizens about the disaster, claiming victories won and casualties inflicted that simply did not take place.
And in his latest interview three months later, Brik portrays a country in moral collapse that has wrecked its economy and social fabric – small wonder when it is committing genocide and adding new war crimes daily – and that the military is still lying about its supposed achievements in Gaza:
The country is in the process of crashing. The economy is crashing, society is crashing, we have a problem with the world that we are losing.
The public is told that tunnels are being destroyed – that’s one big lie. I talk to those who do the work, including commanders, and they tell me that the public is being lied to. We destroyed maybe a few percent, the entire area of the tunnels in Hamas’ hands.
Continuing in his theme of Israel’s military failure and lack of prowess, he went on:
Hamas is in the tunnels, almost all of them, contrary to what the army says about having destroyed fifty percent. They live in tunnels with air conditioners, fuel, everything. They collected food for a year or two. [The IDF] don’t have the power to replace. You can’t keep a person who occupied Gaza for more than a few months because he has to get a replacement.
Brik also reiterated details about the raid by Palestinian fighters in October last year that are not found in UK ‘mainstream media’ reporting, about Israel’s awareness of the raid and failure to act:
Two hours before the outbreak of war. There is a report on the radio, we hear that they are now going to attack Israel. They say even nine. There are reports approaching the fence in the tunnels with sensors. Herzi Halevi decides that this will not be a war, maybe it is another exercise. He believes in this wall that he was responsible for building – technology in the sky, only there are no people on it because they thought people were not needed.
In the end, the IDF issued repeated ‘Hannibal’ orders to its ground troops and air units, telling them to kill everything in their sector without checking who was in vehicles and homes. Israel has long been known – again entirely unreported by UK ‘MSM’ even though it has become freely discussed in Israeli media – to have killed many and probably most of the Israeli citizens who died on the day of the raid.
Concerning the Israeli military’s invasion of Lebanon, in which Israel is suffering heavy losses with almost no gains, and its absence of professionalism, standards and discipline, Brik accused it of letting cronyism and tunnel vision prevent it recognising its real situation:
The army today only enters the Litani [river], as far as the Litani. Why? Because this army is tiny. In ’78 it reached the Litani and in ’82 it got to to Beirut. Now it’s only managed three kilometers. Since Yom Kippur until today, there have been 14 chiefs of staff, 11 of whom are red berets, Sayeret Matkal and paratroopers. Friends bring friends without any supervision or monitoring, [it’s a clique]. They don’t know the army. The main problem of this group is that they grew up as paratroopers in the Sayeret Matkal. The whole picture of the overall area – armour, infantry, planes – did not speak to them.
And Brik, far from being a dove or a left-winger – he echoes US and Israeli government propaganda and calls Iran, China and Russia the ‘axis of evil’ and approves of Israel’s goal of occupying at least part of Lebanon – says that Netanyahu is perpetuating war to save his own political skin and compared Israel to the doomed Titanic:
He doesn’t want to be thrown in the trash, to finish the government…
The public lives on the Titanic, rejoices at every little success, and makes a huge victory out of it.
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It’s not the only problem that Netanyahu has:
‘Ceasefire before Inauguration’ – Trump Gave Netanyahu Deadline to End Gaza War
US presidential candidate Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wanted an end to the Gaza war by the time he takes office, should he win the election, the Times of Israel has reported.
You can read the full article here:
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/ceasefire-before-inauguration-trump-gave-netanyahu-deadline-to-end-gaza-war/
Should Trump win, that’d still give Benny until Jan to figure out an escape plan and kill maybe another 10,000 – inauguration is around the 20th, I think. (I wonder if he would bring the inauguration date forward if he could, though). But still, it is consistent with his general distaste for war (ie his professed wish to end Ukraine war, too), so that’s something. Watch to see if he keeps to that ultimatum…
Disabuse yourself of the notion day-glo don will force benny’s hand in any way.
Twas he himself arbitrarily declared Jerusalem as the capital of israel and moved ‘murrica’s embassy there.
In doing so, pandering to both the (brewstered) jewish and christian evangelical lobbyists – who saw it as some sort of modern-day crusade.
Nope. The orange one will do exactly what’s in the interests of the extreme right religious zealots and the business interests of his slum landlord son-in-law, kushner and his clique, plus the arms trade – who’s pie is choc-full of their fingers.
Got your back up, have I timfrom?
First of all, you brought Trump into the conversation suggesting he had a ‘general distaste for war’ when there is no evidence to that effect. So I asked the question whether you (or SteveH) admired him. You say you do not. OK.
Second, what is this ‘over here, pal’ crap. I live in England, have lived here all my life, and am English (with a bit of Romani) to boot. I just happen to follow US politics, pal (which is a Romani word, by the way, meaning ‘brother, comrade’).
As for Seth Myers, you seem very upset at his mocking of Trump — he also mocks Biden by the way — which suggests you actually do have some sort of admiration for the orange clown, despite your denial.
And just so we understand each other, I don’t for one moment think Harris will be the best thing since sliced bread but I do think she would be a better choice than Trump, especially where women’s rights are concerned.
And then there’s Project 2025.
PW – “So I asked the question whether you (or SteveH) admired him [Trump]”
Don’t be silly, when have I ever expressed any admiration for Trump? 🤔
Billy – Oh, do stop bellyaching. If you cannot take it, you should dish it out.
You have expressed precisely the same level of admiration for Trump as you claim I have for Putin.
If you believe anything Trump says or writes, then you haven’t been paying attention. Or perhaps you and timfrom admire the demented imbecile? This latest video from Late Night with Seth Meyers highlights just how shallow and untrustworthy he is.
Trump’s Embarrassing Garbage Stunt Might Be His Most Surreal Photo Op Ever: A Closer Look
Wonderful PW. Good for my mental health. Ta
“Keir Starmer*/Donald Trump* will say anything to anyone, but he doesn’t mean any of it. We all know this!”
__________
* Delete as appropriate
I never said he was admirable or trustworthy. Just more averse to war than Harris (soon to be known as Bomber Harris if she wins!). You’re succumbing to the liberal/MSM tendency of branding people pro-something just because they don’t immediately condemn it, like starting off interviews with pro-Palestine voices with a Do You Condemn Hamas? and a Yes answer being a condition of continuing with the interview.
And sorry but who the fuck is Seth Meyers? Means nothing over here, pal. Here he does the comedic equivalent of shooting fish in a barrell – mocking Donald Trump. Oh, give the guy an Emmy, what a talent! FFS!
Is that anything like “trump wasn’t involved in any wars whilst he was president” when in fact his drone killings out did Obama. Imagine thinking Mister Tango has any influence.
Don’t be silly, when have I ever expressed any admiration for Trump?
I don’t know that you have but you certainly claimed I support Iran without any evidence.
https://skwawkbox.org/2024/10/28/video-lammy-says-unhelpful-to-say-israel-committing-genocide-because-not-enough-people-killed/#comment-260890
Posting a YouTube clip of Iran’s statement to the UN does not prove the case at all. If you can’t take it then don’t dish it out.
As I said before, your childishness is your problem, not ours. No doubt I’ll get some stupid emoji or some other kindergarten response.
Anyway, the headline should read:
‘israeli brik says israel shitting bricks’
(Suit yer soddin’ selves then. 🙄)
If this military and societal collapse is true then fear not for the good ol US of A will ride to the rescue. Followed by the UK Washingtons ever obedient lap dog. ” Our own little Ulster in the middle east” as Winston Churchill said. There is to much tied up in it by the west for it to fail.
Since his retirement from IDF in 2018, Itzhak Brik has been a remarkably consistent and vociferous critic of IDF structure, leadership, practices, its Gaza policies, its lies about Tunnels and the destruction of them, etc., etc.. Wiki details this reasonably fully in its entry for him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itzhak_Brik. It also notes that Brick has, from February 2024, been forcefully calling for the resignation of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Why are the media that usually big-up Israel’s deliberate war with the Palestinians it imperially Occupies suddenly giving Brick’s analysis and judgement column space?
i) preparing for admission of defeat?
ii) to oust Netanyahu?
Maybe both, But I don’t trust the media on this (or much) and neither should you.
Thanks PW that ‘Closer Look’ on Trump was hilarious & a brilliant take down of what The New Left Review called “A lumpen real estate mogul.”
The Emperor Has No Clothes.
What the Right like Trump do is use emotional issues like immigration and use inflammatory language, nationalist rhetoric & exaggerations plus distortions to reel the mugs in, feeding them red meat, but his real agenda is a platform for the super rich, last time he gave over $1 trillion in tax cuts to them, which included himself, and if he wins he will do it again do his gullible supporters are being played.
And there is little difference between the two Pro Big Business Neo-Liberal Capitalist Warmonger parties.
The USA like the UK needs a Left Wing Democratic Socialist Party.
Neither Don The Con Nor Bomber Harris and sadly in the absence of a Socialist candidate best bet is Jill Stein, Green, who has been good on Palestine, though she is only on the ballot paper apparently in 20 states so it would be tough to win.
But could perhaps: Make America Green Again.
Fantastic post Bazza. I didn’t realise that there’d be a single Green Presidential candidate (Jill Stein) in 20 states, thanks. Hope she does well enough to encourage real democracy in the rigged two/uniParty system on that side of the Atlantic.
Albanese Special UN Rapporteur
Points out that under International Law Israel is now financially and Logistically responsible for the upkeep of Gaza now they have kicked out UNWHRA
When the inevitable happens and starvation and disease takes hold, then the RotWorld will be forced to act
That assuming the axis of resistance doesn’t act first