Current sectionOpinionShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeGideon Levy12:28 AM • August 13 2026 IDTThe Israel Defense Forces "condemn." It's enough to make you howl. The most powerful military in the Middle East, in the role of an observer from the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israel settlersPalestiniansIsrael occupationIsrael settlementsWest BankIDFHuman rightsCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesMossadLebanonWest BankNetanyahuDefense PactMichigan PrimaryElection PollsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastHow Did the IDF Become the Army of Wimpish Condemnations?Israel Using the Judea and Samaria Militia to Enforce Palestinian ExpulsionWhat Netanyahu Really Reveals About Israel by Promoting a Palo Alto SharkHaaretz CartoonNew Eurovision Rule Change Could Prevent Israel From Hosting in the FutureRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMI50 Years Ago, a Young Israeli Was Crowned the Most Beautiful Woman in the WorldIsrael's Leading Philosopher on Manipulation, Morality and the Future of ZionismWho Is Rebeca Grynspan, the Jewish Frontrunner to Become the Next UN Chief?How a Teen, Not a Journalist, Debunked Israel's Gaza 'Voluntary Emigration' Plan'I Saw Pictures of Dead Kids. In the Army They Told Us We Only Kill Terrorists'Israel Elections: How to Actually Read the Polls