A RACIAL STATE CAN'T HAVE MORAL QUALMS:

[T]here seems to be a widening gap between the public and the I.D.F. on matters of civil behavior.

In February, the I.D.F.'s chief of staff puzzled many Israelis when, referring to Palestinian knifing attacks, he said that he did not want to see a soldier empty a magazine "at a girl holding scissors." Israelis, he hinted, are too trigger-happy when it comes to Palestinian attackers. A survey found that a majority of the Jewish Israeli public did not support his call for caution.

In March, a soldier shot a wounded Palestinian attacker in the head as he lay on the ground. The I.D.F., rightly, arrested the soldier and condemned the breach of conduct. The public, again, disagreed. A poll found that 68 percent of the Jewish public disapproved of the soldier's treatment by the I.D.F. According to one analysis, 82 percent of social media responses supported the soldier. There are more than enough institutions, Israelis feel, that specialize in smearing the Israeli military. Commanders shouldn't hand them ammunition.

These incidents are all connected: The I.D.F.'s top brass is troubled by signs that the Israeli public is less committed to keeping a high moral standard when fighting battles than it used to be. Yes, a Palestinian with a weapon could be dangerous, but the I.D.F. wants to avoid bloodshed when an attacker is a 13-year-old girl. Yes, an attacker could be killed, but the I.D.F. doesn't want to kill people who are on the ground and pose no danger. Yes, the I.D.F. drafts brave and dedicated Israelis, but it is worried about an Israel in which there is a detectable increase in hateful language and a troubling disregard for human life.

The army's leaders are in a difficult position. They have good reason to be concerned about these trends; in fact, all Israelis should be. But these leaders are also uncertain how to deal with a society that is rapidly changing. Many of them are still the members of an old elite, mostly secular and aligned with the Labor Party, that is losing power to more right-wing, more religious Israelis. These leaders feel that part of their sacred mission of guarding the country involves maintaining the standards of morality and integrity that they were taught.

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