4 IDF soldiers punished for hazing

Victim tied to his bunk for refusing to pay colleague’s canteen bill

By Philip Podolsky 6 September 2012, 2:01 pm 1

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Soldiers of the Kfir Brigade, suspected of abuse, are led to military court in Jaffa, August 5 (photo credit: Yossi Zeliger/Flash90)

Three soldiers and a squad commander were handed punishments for tying a fellow squad member to a bed.

They were in the process of removing his clothes when they were interrupted by another soldier, who intervened and reported the incident, Israel Radio reported Thursday.

The soldier said the abusers were going to leave him tied up all night because he refused to pay for a fellow soldier at the canteen. He added that one of the soldiers tried to hit him with a chair. The attacked soldier took a leave from the military, saying he was afraid to return to the unit.

Some of the perpetrators were sentenced to terms in military prison; others were confined to their base.

This is the first instance of hazing recorded in the Herev Battalion, which is predominantly made up of members of the Druze community, after recent incidents in the Givati Brigade and the Kfir Brigade.