IDF condemns ‘serious incident’ as Golani company goes AWOL to protest new commander
Soldiers claim unfair treatment culminating with Paratroopers officer replacing their commander; troops expected to face disciplinary action
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
In an unusual incident, an entire company of troops in the military’s Golani Brigade left their training base on Tuesday in apparent anger over being given a new commander.
The Israel Defense Forces condemned the mass desertion, saying in a statement it was “a serious incident that is not consistent with IDF values and what is expected of IDF soldiers.”
According to a statement attributed to soldiers of the company in the 51st Battalion, the troops were angered by alleged unfair treatment over “a long period,” which culminated with the removal of their commander.
“The straw that broke the camel’s back is really the story of our company commander who was a father to us for four months and uplifted the company to levels nobody thought were possible,” the soldiers said.
The new commander was originally from the Paratroopers Brigade, which further riled up the Golani troops.
An Instagram post showing soldiers leaving the Tzeelim training base in southern Israel had a caption reading: “Paratroopers company commander in Golani = company desertion.”
Another image circulating on social media showed a pile of firearms the soldiers left behind after they were told about their new company commander.
The soldiers were expected to face disciplinary action once they are brought back to base.
According to Hebrew-language media reports, the soldiers were heading back to their base on Tuesday night, after IDF officers held conversations with them.
Golani soldiers have a history of mass desertion over alleged unfair treatment in the military.
In another recent incident involving troops of the 51st Battalion, several officers and soldiers were rebuked and jailed in February after a senior officer was beaten up during a brawl with a group of soldiers.
