IDF Dismisses Reservist: 'Silencing Right-Wing Soldiers'
Reserve soldier Ziv Barnes, who has served 830 days since the war began, was dismissed from the IDF due to political statements on social media. Barnes accused the army leadership of double standards and political persecution.
Reserve soldier and right-wing activist Ziv Barnes, who has served no less than 830 days since the outbreak of the war, found himself outside the army ranks this week for the second time. Barnes, a soldier in the 7th Brigade who risked his life on various fronts, received notice of the termination of his service and the cancellation of his future reserve duty orders. According to the army, the decision was made following repeated political statements on social media.
Barnes did not remain silent and attacked the decision, pointing an accusing finger directly at Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir:
"Do you hear, Eyal Zamir? You are issuing an order from your office to stop my reserve service, and I will tell you: who are you anyway? Pay attention and come see what blatant political interference by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir in the election campaign this is. It all started because I made videos about Gadi Eisenkot, his former commander. Does it bother you that I am bringing the truth out, that most reservists think he was a disaster as Chief of Staff? Since then, Eyal Zamir has simply been harassing me and trying to stop my service in every way."
The soldier, who paid a heavy personal price for his prolonged service, described the difficult feelings in the face of an "attempt to silence" an entire public. "Understand, what is happening here is a matter of principle. They are not trying to silence me – they are trying to silence all of you! All the reservists! They are trying to scare you into not speaking out. After all, what is happening here? This is the whole campaign of the Left and Kaplan that the 'Alliance of Servicemen' is on their side. As soon as there is a massive, strong, and prominent voice on the net that shatters this myth and fights against Bennett and Eisenkot, the failed Chief of Staff, it bothers Eyal Zamir because he wants them in the government."
According to Barnes, enforcement in the IDF operates on a "double standard" method, where activists identified with the Left receive lenient treatment even when they make political use of their uniforms. Barnes cynically wondered: "Are you, Eyal Zamir, suddenly going to tell us that the army is not political? While the left-wing Kaplanist side that you nurture, you allow it to form parties and run for the Knesset? Yoaz Hendel who did propaganda, Yonatan Shalev and Shahar Varon – you give all these players a free hand? They gained mandates at the expense of their reserve service! If it is not the Left or Kaplan that serves your agenda, you try to silence and intimidate?"
In another video where Barnes is seen having to part with his military equipment, he shared with pain the sacrifice of his private business for the sake of the system that eventually turned its back on him: "On October 7th, I chose reserve duty, the army, and the country. I left the business behind and could not rehabilitate it between the rounds. Now Eyal Zamir decides to throw his soldiers to the dogs. All this treatment, after hundreds of days of reserve duty, and all for what? Because I wrote a post without a picture, without anything. If you are on the Left, you are allowed to do everything, including refusal to serve. And if you present a different opinion – they will simply shut your mouth."
The final decision on his dismissal was made after a conversation with the commander of the reserve battalion from the 9th Brigade, who informed Barnes that his service would not continue because he "feels that he is bringing in politics," despite the fact that Barnes is not a member of any party, while a candidate for the Knesset serves in the brigade. In a conversation with Channel 14, Barnes said: "In principle, I am being dismissed for a post and videos without a uniform while there are people here who are running for the Knesset and making propaganda videos in uniform. This is selective enforcement and a very dangerous precedent. They are trying to silence all the right-wing reservists."
IDF Spokesperson's response:
"In light of the repeated political statements of the aforementioned reservist, even after it was clarified to him that he must refrain from such statements, his commanders decided to terminate his reserve service in the brigade until further notice. All decisions made regarding him were made solely by his commanders, without any external interference. The IDF is a national army that acts for the security of the State of Israel. Soldiers in regular and reserve service are prohibited from speaking publicly on political issues while in service, even if they are not in uniform. Furthermore, it is strictly forbidden to use the IDF, its uniforms, or its symbols for political purposes, including on social media, and to introduce political content into the frameworks of service. This issue will be enforced with greater severity in light of the entry into the election period."
