The recently published IDF Ombudsman report, which was presented to IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, reveals the success – and challenges – of the army’s ongoing efforts to improve the condition of Israel’s soldiers.

The report, drafted by the IDF’s Ombudsman for Soldiers Yitzhak Brik, noted the heightened demands placed upon the IDF and its officers over the past year.

“The last year has been characterized by [increased efforts] to fight terrorism in Judea and Samaria, along with significant efforts to improve our preparedness for emergencies and war. During this strenuous time we are still obliged to ensure the proper care of our most important resource – the people [themselves],” wrote Brik.

In his report, Brik noted a number of serious breaches of army procedure by officers in their handling of subordinates, including several cases of outright violence.

“During the course of the year I was surprised [to find] that some officers had behaved in contradiction to the army’s orders and – more importantly – even against the IDF’s moral standards and the spirit of the IDF,” wrote Brik.

In one case, for instance, one officer routinely humiliated a junior officer under his command, mocking and denigrating him. The disrespectful behavior even continued in the presence of soldiers under the junior officer’s authority.

In another incident, a female officer holding the rank of Captain degraded soldiers under her command. When a male soldier had called over to a female compatriot, the officer derided them, comparing the situation to a “pimp calling his prostitute”.

An army cook was also cited for his regular use of degrading slurs against soldiers in the kitchen, with smears like “smelly fatboy”, “white Ashkenazi”, “smelly Russian”, “big ears”, etc.

In several cases officers resorted to violence, including one incident in which a commander shot and wounded a subordinate with a staple-gun. In a separate case, an officer forced a soldier to the ground then beat and kicked him before striking him with his gun.