IDF jails four additional soldiers over mass base walkout

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Four more soldiers who led a mass walkout of infantry soldiers from an army base in southern Israel last week have been sentenced to prison and dismissed from combat duty, the military said Tuesday, bringing the number of troops jailed over the incident to 18.

On Thursday, around 100 infantry soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion left their weapons behind and abandoned the Sde Teiman base in protest after their battalion commander destroyed decorative signs they had put up.

Three soldiers who led the walkout were sentenced to 30 days in military prison, the army announced Tuesday morning. A fourth, who was on leave ahead of his upcoming discharge when sentenced, received a 20-day sentence. All four were also removed from combat duty, the Israel Defense Force said.

On Friday, the army sentenced 14 other soldiers identified as leaders of the walkout to 30 days in prison and dismissed them from combat duty.

The walkout was sparked when signs posted on the base, which soldiers said were part of a company tradition, were torn down by the commander. The military said the decorations contained material intended to humiliate new recruits, and backed the commander’s decision to remove them.

Footage posted to social media showed soldiers marching out of the base while chanting an obscenity against officers. Other footage showed weapons left in a pile and the remains of the destroyed signs, including one that read “Kingdom of Devils.”

The soldiers were ordered to return by 4 p.m. that day and were warned that anyone who did not would be declared absent without leave and referred to the Military Police. Most later returned.

Around 80 returning troops were required to remain on base over the weekend and undergo what the IDF described as a command-and-education process intended to reinforce military discipline and expected standards.

Infantry soldiers in the IDF have a history of hazing new recruits and there have been cases of desertion en masse over alleged mistreatment by commanders.

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