A retired general well acquainted with Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi praised his recent appointment as IDF chief of staff. “The only thing that concerns me is that Aviv Kochavi aspires to become prime minister,” he told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. He explained that if this indeed is the case, Kochavi might be tempted to try pleasing the crowd in a way that will affect his decisions as chief of staff.

Such a thing has happened before. Since the founding of the state in 1948, almost every second IDF chief has gone into politics after shedding his uniform. The chair of the Israel Resilience party, Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz, is No. 11 on the list. But experience has shown that a successful military career does not always translate into a successful political one — as in the case of Lt. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Rabin’s first term as prime minister and Lt. Gen. (res.) Ehud Barak.

Either way, the militarization of politics is a sad commentary on Israeli society. Of even greater concern is the politicization of the military, especially when tainted by nationalist clericalism in the top ranks. From there, too, it's a short road to the top political echelons.

The IDF rabbinate has long served as a jumping-off point to the country’s chief rabbinate and the leadership of yeshivas. The Feb. 3 choice of the IDF's former chief rabbi, Brig. Gen. (res.) Rafi Peretz, as head of HaBayit HaYehudi shows that the religious political right has discovered the political potential that lies in the combination of a senior military rank and a top rabbinical authority. However, this coin has another side. The army has become the playing field of an entire political sector that views religious law as competing with the laws of the state and often superseding them. Military rabbis have become halachic (Jewish law) authorities, issuing rulings any time they deem that government decisions and commanders’ orders are not in tune with divine injunctions.