Mutiny at Sde Teyman: Dozens of soldiers abandon base

Dozens of soldiers abandoned the Sde Teyman base following a dispute with senior command staff, it was reported today (Thursday) by Walla. The soldiers belong to the Tzabar Battalion of the Givati Brigade.

According to sources within the brigade, the command staff decided to destroy and remove symbols placed in the companies. The battalion commander insisted on carrying out the order despite opposition from the soldiers, and when no agreement was reached, the soldiers left the unit and abandoned the base.

"One of the commanders used a 5 kg hammer to destroy one of the symbols," one of the unit's soldiers told Walla.

As previously noted, the Givati Brigade recently concluded prolonged and complex combat operations in southern Lebanon, achieving major operational successes, including the capture of the Beaufort ridge and Bint Jbeil. The brigade's soldiers were selected for the most challenging missions and received praise from the General Staff.

The Operations Directorate of the General Staff decided to rotate the forces, transferring some to training and others to activity in different arenas. According to warrant officers, the senior command of the Givati Brigade is making efforts to address disciplinary issues and eradicate various "negative traditions." Commanders set a deadline for veteran soldiers to take down all symbols and flags. When the discourse reached a dead end, the commanders decided to take physical action and remove the symbols themselves.

This triggered angry reactions. According to various testimonies, dozens of soldiers left the unit's base, and later reports claimed that the battalion compound was left without soldiers, manned only by commanders.