The following post was made after an excellent Gideon Levy commentary on Ha'aretz, which blames Israel for the widely expected next outbreak of violence.

I'm assuming the poster is authentic because Ha'aretz moderates its comments, and he posts a lot.

The fault lies in the mythical invincibility of our failure-prone IDF

Name: Aluf Mishne (Res) Elyakim Biton

City: Jerusalem State: Israel

Todays IDF is viewed by its General Staff as a mere stepping stone into politics and real riches, not as a responsibility for the safety and best interests of the state of Israel. After serving 30 years in the IDF I guarantee this statement is factual.

Any IDF general who cannot get rich before retirement has failed. IDF generals constant lobbying [of] the Knesset for the most advanced weapons, though we haven`t won a war since 1973, guarantees lucerative side-deals with suppliers to the IDF of missiles and other exotic weaponry which accomplish nothing for victory.

It is in the best interests of the IDF General Staff to keep the Intifadas going on forever even though it is demoralizing and destroying the IDF so the money will keep rolling into the Generals' bank accounts for ever.

The General Staff is just as corrupt as members of the Knesset.

It is no accident Air Force General Rami Dotan pocketed 13 million for buying defective F-16 engines that caused the deaths of many of our pilots in crashes.

And it is no accident, we have purchased or spent billions in illogical weapons such as the Nautilis laser we no longer want.

War is big business for the suppliers to the IDF of munitions and for the IDF generals they wine, dine & grease their palms.

The IDF will never want peace, for there is no profit in real peace, and I know what I`m talking about after spending 30 years in the IDF.

See our last post on Israel/Palestine.