How come Arab armies fail against Israel?
Very simple:
The Israeli army is based on the Prussian model.
Most Arab armies are based on the British/Russian model.
The Prussian reads:
A soldier knows as much as his non-commissioned officer. And the petty officer knows as much as his office.
Is an order, but a (non-commissioned) officer can disregard it if he sees a tactical need to deviate from it.
Proven competence is rewarded.
In British/Russian reads:
A soldier knows nothing, a non-commissioned officer a little more, and the officer the most. Whoever in a platoon knows how the mortar works will make sure not to share it with the rest, for fear that they will lose their job.
Is order, but if a (non-commissioned) officer gets it on his hips, he will deviate from it, without informing the rest.
Proven competence is punished, the person above you does not want to lose his job. It is better not to stick your head above ground level.
(Tzion Shenkor, decorated battalion commander of Ethiopian descent)
In addition:
In most Arab armies, personal loyalty is more important than knowledge. Officers are more likely to be appointed if they come from the same clan/tribe, or are related to the right people, than on their competence.
Personal competence is leading in the Israeli army. People search diligently for talent and develop potential talent. Not loyalty or lineage, but proven ability leads to promotion.
(Dan Halutz, former Chief of Staff, Retired General of Iranian descent)
This gives the Israeli army function over form, and it has the flexibility to remain innovative. In most Arab armies it is the other way around, and their armies have been and remain unwieldy, rigid organizations of dubious reliability.
However…
There is one exception to this. And that is Iran. Iran has an army that is also based on the Prussian model. And what it lacks in technology it makes up for in numbers. This is known in both Tel Aviv and Tehran, which is why we will never see a direct confrontation between the two, and confrontations with Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah or Quds (which also follow the Prussian school) are difficult for the Israelis, to say the least.
(Goose step, bombastic marching music, and German rifles, the signs of the presence of Prussian advisers during the formation of a national army)
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