Jerusalem, 16 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir is proposing sweeping changes to the Israel Defense Forces’ code of ethics. Under his plan, when serving as defense minister, the revised code would emphasize Jewish values rooted in the Bible, Jewish ethics, Hebrew law, and national tradition, describing the IDF as the army of the Jewish state.
A central change would replace “Purity of Arms” with “Righteousness of Arms,” incorporating the principle, “If someone comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first.”
The proposed ethics would state that the IDF’s primary mission is to achieve victory and decisively defeat Israel’s enemies. Its service is rooted in love for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. The IDF is committed to human dignity, recognizing every person’s inherent value regardless of origin, religion, nationality, gender, status, or position. As the people’s army, the IDF operates under the authority of the law and government.
