Hundreds of soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion walked out on the Sde Teiman military base following a dispute with senior commanders, Walla reported on Thursday.
According to soldiers in the brigade, senior commanders decided to destroy and remove insignias that had been displayed in the battalion’s companies, with the battalion commander reportedly insisting that the insignias be removed despite opposition from the soldiers.
When the two sides failed to reach an agreement, the soldiers left their unit and walked out of the base.
“One of the commanders used a five-kilogram hammer to destroy one of the insignias,” one of the people serving in the unit told Walla.
Footage from the incident showed soldiers shouting insults at officers and members of the command staff as they left the base.
After the soldiers departed, battalion commanders contacted them through a WhatsApp group that also included their parents. The commanders said that anyone who returned by 4 p.m. would not face severe punishment.
The commanders threatened that any soldier who does not return today will receive a more severe punishment.
Soldiers return to base under threat of disciplinary action
The battalion commander also sent the soldiers a message saying that he would agree to “contain” those who had left the base earlier in the day.
Givati soldiers told their parents that videos showing commanders destroying the insignias with a hammer had prompted the insubordination.
“What pushed the soldiers over the edge were the videos. Seeing how their insignias were being destroyed with a hammer. It was humiliating. Damage to everything they have been through in recent years. Without understanding, but this is serious harm.”
The soldiers further added, “The commanders sent messages to all the soldiers saying that at 4 p.m., each company would hold a roll call to see who had returned and who had not, and those who did not return would face severe punishment. At the moment? Only a few have returned.”
Givati Brigade commander Col. Netanel Shimcha returned to the unit’s base when only a very small number of soldiers had returned, with the rest demanding to speak with their commanders.
Officials in the 162nd Division assessed that the soldiers who walked out of the base would face severe punishment.
Some are expected to face disciplinary proceedings before the battalion commander, while those accused of leading the incident and who were documented in the videos are expected to be tried by the brigade commander.
Givati Brigade had just returned from prolonged combat in southern Lebanon
The Givati Brigade recently completed a prolonged and complex period of combat in southern Lebanon, achieving significant operational successes, including the capture of the Beaufort Ridge, Bint Jbeil, and other locations. Sources said that some of the soldiers have since been more emotional and prone to outbreaks.
The troops are preparing for redeployment to the Yellow Line in Gaza.
The brigade’s soldiers were selected for some of the most challenging missions and received praise from the IDF General Staff. The IDF Operations Directorate subsequently decided to rotate the forces, sending some soldiers for training and assigning others to operations in different arenas.
According to the military, the brigade’s senior command staff has been working to address disciplinary issues and combat various negative practices, traditions, and customs.
The IDF Spokesperson addressed the event, saying that the incident was being investigated and handled by the battalion's commanders.