IDF soldiers jailed for naked firing range practice

Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers who were filmed practicing at a firing range last week while stark naked were each sentenced to 21 days in jail on Sunday.

A military spokesperson described the incident on Thursday at the Nahal Brigade’s training base as “serious.”

In the footage that was circulated online, the two soldiers — squad commanders — were seen shooting at targets at the base’s firing range, wearing only a smile.

The pair were handed 21-day jail sentences by the commander of the Nahal Brigade, Col. Oren Simcha, and they will also be denied serving in combat roles for four months.

The footage was filmed by an officer, who was also sentenced to 21 days in military prison. His continued service was to be examined by the commander of the 162nd Division, Brig. Gen. Nadav Lotan.

“The investigation revealed that the soldiers and the officer acted contrary to what was expected of IDF soldiers and officers, and they seriously harmed military culture,” the spokesperson said.

פרסום ראשון: קצין בסיירת נח״ל הושעה השבוע השבוע מתפקידו וצפוי לעלות למשפט לאחר שביצע מטווח באש חיה יחד עם לוחם, כששניהם בעירום מלא (לא בלתי חשוב: בסרטון המקורי רואים פגיעות טובות) pic.twitter.com/IM1PfJHTjE

— רועי שרון Roy Sharon (@roysharon11) May 19, 2023

IDF troops have at times filmed or photographed themselves naked or otherwise violating military code in jest, with punishments usually being dished out when the footage leaks to the general public.