IDF backs battalion commander: instigators of the incident will be tried
About 100 of the 120 soldiers who left the Sde Teiman base have returned. The IDF intends to distinguish between the instigators of the incident and those who followed them, considering the removal of those involved from combat duty.
The IDF is providing full backing to the decision of the Tzabar Battalion commander to address incidents of hazing. The commander of the 162nd Division, Brigadier General Sagiv Dahan, and the commander of the Givati Brigade, Colonel Netanel Shamka, arrived Wednesday evening at the Sde Teiman base after almost all of the 120 rebellious soldiers had returned. The IDF intends to distinguish between those who led the incident and those who were dragged along, and is considering removing some of those involved from combat duty.
The locked container and removed signs: how the incident began
Fighters of the Tzabar Battalion returned this week from combat in Lebanon. This morning, the battalion commander conducted an equipment inspection and encountered a locked container that the soldiers refused to open.
The IDF claims that signs were found in the container that do not represent the values of the Givati Brigade, including symbols related to hazing traditions. Consequently, the battalion commander decided to remove them. Conversely, fighters claimed these were important company symbols, and that some were broken during the inspection.
After the signs were removed, the fighters left their personal weapons in the company compound and left the base as an organized group. According to military sources, the veteran platoon led the incident and dragged the younger soldiers along.
Backing for the commander and investigation into conduct
The IDF is backing the battalion commander's decision to address hazing. The army emphasized that the battalion's commanders have fought on various fronts over the last three years and led their fighters with courage.
However, the incident will be investigated, and the way the commanders handled it will also be examined. The IDF clarified that alongside the backing for the decision to remove the signs, the conduct that led to the escalation of the confrontation and the departure of the fighters will be checked.
