Activists Urge Defense Minister Katz to Immediately Award War Citations
Members of the Intervention Force movement urged Defense Minister Israel Katz to immediately award military citations for the Swords of Iron war, criticizing delays in recognizing soldiers.
Nearly three years after the October 7 massacre and the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war, members of the Intervention Force movement have addressed a formal demand to Defense Minister Israel Katz, calling for the immediate awarding of military decorations and citations for the campaign. The appeal follows a directive previously issued by Katz requesting the IDF Chief of Staff's recommendations within 15 days.
"In your letter to the Chief of Staff regarding the awarding of decorations to soldiers who acted during the Swords of Iron war with supreme heroism and risked their lives facing the enemy, nearly eight months have passed since that deadline, and almost the entirety of 2026 has gone by," the letter stated. "The deadline you set in your letter expired in mid-January, and not a single decoration has been awarded, nor a single name published."
The activists emphasized the profound moral and educational value of timely recognition. "The moral and educational value of a citation, as a matter of justice, must not only be done but done swiftly, and it is measured by its proximity to the event. A citation given close to the incident educates an entire generation of fighters and sets a living example for the army. Following the Six-Day War, the Chief of Staff awarded 51 citations within a few months. This is what an administration that understands the value of time looks like. Recognition given years after the fact, when the details of the battle have faded, loses its core impact. This is doubly true for reservists, many of whom are being discharged and leaving, taking the window of opportunity with them."
The signatories pointed out that the majority of citations do not require the approval of a General Staff committee. Brigade commanders, division commanders, and regional command heads hold the authority to grant citations independently, without any justification to condition them on the conclusion of committee proceedings.
In their appeal to Defense Minister Israel Katz, they demand that he "exercise your authority under the Decorations Law immediately, and instruct the Chief of Staff to direct all command echelons, from brigade commanders to regional commanders, to grant without delay the citations that fall within their authority."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit stated that a response will be provided in due course.
