Please Join the JCRC’s Israel Action Center for events during their 2nd Annual Scholar in Residence Program, underwritten by the Meltzer Group.

Based on his 30 years combat record in the reserves, COL Gruber explores moral and legal aspects of the war on terror including Operation Protective Edge and how the IDF applies ethics in real time during combat making life and death decisions in a matter of seconds.

Colonel (Res.) Bentzi Gruber, the JCRC’s Israel Action Center Scholar in Residence, discusses the ethics and morals of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in combat. COL Gruber currently serves as Vice–Commander of an armored division of 20,000 soldiers, a position that followed other significant posts of command in the course of more than 30 years serving in the IDF Reserves. This position within the army has given him access and permission to present materials and information that is usually only seen by military or government officials.

COL Gruber will present the many strategic challenges that Israel faces today, including the critical daily decisions made by IDF officers commanders and soldiers. COL Gruber takes audiences behind the scenes of the IDF’s daily battle to both ensure the country’s security and try to uphold one of the most rigorous military codes of ethics in the world today. In a unique multimedia presentation combining classified IDF footage, statistics, and personal narration, COL Gruber explores: the dilemmas facing IDF commanders in locating terrorists within a civilian population; and IDF’s preventative efforts against terrorist attacks. In addition to providing first-hand accounts and documentation from Operation Protective Edge and the IDF’s daily counter terrorism operations.

with The Jewish Community Relations Council, Masa Israel, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, AJC ACCESS DC, Ohev Shalom, EntryPointDC, Beth El, AJC, Israel House in Washington, DC, The National Synagogue, and The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs