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Givati walkout at Sde Teiman
About 100 soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion left the Sde Teiman base and laid down their weapons after a dispute with the battalion commander over signs and traditions.
“The veterans influenced the younger soldiers”
Ynetnews quoted security officials saying, “The veterans influenced the younger soldiers,” as the officials described how the battalion commander removed and destroyed symbols tied to seniority slogans.
Israel National News said the commander ordered the removal of battalion signs that portrayed the Devil, the Angel of Death, and other characters, and the commander told parents that “There is no connection between the signs and the battalion's fallen soldiers or a memorial site.”
The IDF later confirmed that several soldiers from a combat battalion left their military base without permission from their commanders and said the incident is under investigation, while also stating that what occurred “does not align with the values of the Israeli army and military service standards.”
Return deadline and inquiries
Ynetnews reported that the brigade commander arrived at the battalion to speak with some of the soldiers, and it said the brigade is now expected to conduct inquiries into the incident, hear the soldiers’ claims, and decide on disciplinary measures.
The article also said a senior military official later stated that “many soldiers have begun returning,” and it described how the inspection was postponed even though the equipment inspection was said to be at 4:30 p.m.
Israel National News said the IDF updated that at the pinnacle of the walkout protest, 100 soldiers left the base, and it added that except for one platoon, all the soldiers have returned to the base.
India Today quoted a message warning that “At exactly 16:00, there will be a check in the company to see who has remained/returned,” and it said those not back by then would be classified as AWOL and names forwarded to the Military Police.
Disciplinary stakes and readiness
Ynetnews said those considered the “leaders” of the incident will be tried by the brigade commander and that “Each soldier will be evaluated based on his role,” with officials stressing that anyone who did not take part would not be punished.
“Each soldier will be evaluated based on his role”
Israel National News reported that the military stressed instigators will stand trial before the commander of the Givati Brigade and face appropriate punishment, while it also quoted a senior military official saying the incident is “a serious disciplinary incident that has no place in the IDF.”
Maariv was cited by multiple outlets as saying the soldiers’ withdrawal led to the battalion being removed from operational readiness, despite preparing to join military operations in the Gaza Strip in the upcoming period.
Al-Jazeera Net added that the operational repercussions were immediate, saying the battalion became unfit to participate in the combat tasks it had been preparing to carry out in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli army said the incident is under investigation.