Frontline Troops Not As Encouraged As Leaders Expected By Visits From Corrupt Politicians

“Afterwards, all I heard was mockery and profligate use of the term ‘REMF.'”

Bint Jbael, November 25 – Heavily-photographed events with elected officials more interested in burnishing their image than in the plight of the soldiers conducting the ongoing war have somehow failed to boost the fighting men’s and women’s morale, commanders report.

Unit commanders in southern Lebanon, in Gaza, and in rear rest areas within prewar Israeli territory noted that the mandatory attendance at visits with everyone from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu down to the most obscure local council member, ostensibly to offer encouragement to the troops – but in fact producing no outcome other than annoyance at having to meet narcissistic, power-hungry, venal, manipulative scum in suits and, for the occasion, helmets and body armor more for show than protection.

“For some reason the men don’t get energized from these events as we anticipated,” observed Lieutenant Colonel Mishum Ma, a battalion commander in southern Lebanon. “Just the other day we had a group of Knesset lawmakers come, and they brought flowers or something else, but the guys just kind of rolled their eyes. I think some even made jerk-off gestures that weren’t even hidden or subtle. We figured those visitors were too low-ranking, and maybe it was insulting. But Minister of Defense [Yisrael] Katz just came to see them and… well, same thing.”

Commanders in the Gaza Strip reported much the same phenomenon. “Bibi was here on Tuesday,” recalled an infantry major. “So we ordered all the guys to come. They’d get a visit from the head honcho, who’d shake hands and make some remarks praising them and the importance of their work, honoring their dedication and sacrifice, the whole deal. Was gonna be great. But even right afterwards, all I heard was mockery and profligate use of the term ‘REMF.’ It was not what we expected when we organized the event.”

On the other hand, he reported, the troops do light up when they receive letters, cards, and small gifts from schoolchildren – which gave one colonel the idea to have the mayors of several towns near Tel Aviv serve as delivery agents for packages of such gifts. However, the presence of the politicians – three of whom face indictment on corruption, breach of trust, embezzlement, and other fiduciary charges – spoiled the moment for most of the troops.

Before some soldiers prepared to return to their assigned units and positions, one sergeant major managed to restore morale by setting up life-size posters of various politicians, at which passers-by were encouraged to throw mud.

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