National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly snapped at IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi at yesterday’s cabinet meeting over the suspension the army handed down to several soldiers who filmed themselves singing Hanukkah songs over the loudspeaker system in a mosque in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Ben Gvir told Halevi that the punishments harms solders’ morale, according to remarks leaked to Channel 13.
Halevi responded that the soldiers’ actions violated the army’s code of conduct and went against the values of the IDF.
“I am a cabinet member, I am a political rank. We decide,” Ben Gvir shot back.
“You are wrong. I will decide what is or isn’t moral behavior in the army. Don’t threaten me,” Halevi responded.
Several other ministers came to Halevi’s defense, telling Ben Gvir not to speak rudely to the IDF chief of staff.
“Ma’am, don’t tell me what to do,” Ben Gvir told National Unity Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton.
“Don’t call me ma’am,” she quickly replied.
This is far from Ben Gvir’s first cabinet meeting scuffle. He got into it with National Unity Minister Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, last month as well.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
