Rifle butt to the face and screams of horror: New testimonies on violence in the Bedouin Battalion

This evening, Sunday, new and disturbing testimonies have emerged, revealing a harsh picture of physical violence, harassment, and theft within the Bedouin Reconnaissance Battalion, alongside ongoing cover-ups by senior command.

Exposure: Harsh testimonies of violence by an officer

23.07.26 | Hillel Biton Rosen

Among other things, a severe incident of violence was revealed in which a company commander struck a female soldier in the battalion in the face with the butt of his weapon, causing a serious injury. An officer who served in the battalion stated:

"There is an incident where a company commander got angry at an assistant and struck her with a rifle butt in the face."

It is further alleged that the deputy battalion commander screamed at one of the female soldiers until she fainted.

The officer added that when the soldier approached the battalion commander following the attack, he told her:

"I want to close this within the battalion so it does not get a bad name. I will handle it myself, but if you go and complain to the Military Police (Metzah), I will put you on a conditional prison sentence."

In addition, a former female soldier in the battalion claimed: "I was harassed there, my credit card was stolen, and the battalion commander was not willing to do anything; rather, he blamed his Jewish soldier for being the one who stole it. He was not willing to open a file with the Military Police. Violence and terrible discourse are part of the routine."

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit responded: "Most of the events reflected in the article are not accurate at all and do not reflect what is happening in the 585th Battalion. After a check was conducted, the alleged incident regarding physical violence using a weapon by an officer did not occur. All events reported regarding sexual safety were handled by commanders and the Gender Affairs Advisor unit (Yohalam).

The IDF views with great severity any deviation from the norms of behavior expected of its fighters and commanders, and handles every incident with severity and without compromise. The battalion commander practices zero tolerance towards violence and property offenses; all cases raised were investigated in real-time, handled, and transferred to senior levels, with removals from combat and the battalion carried out as needed.

The 585th Battalion has been at the forefront of the fighting for over two and a half years, and its fighters have acted with courage. Publications that distort reality harm the battalion's soldiers, most of whom volunteered to enlist in the IDF. The battalion is in an ongoing process of strengthening command norms and operational readiness. The assistance and support services of the Yohalam unit are available to the victims."