IDF chief slams ‘unethical incidents’ by soldiers, including smashing Jesus statue, wearing inciteful patches: ‘We must not compromise our values’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says the military has seen eroding discipline in the multi-front war over recent years.

Among other issues, he denounces reported cases of looting, the destruction of a Jesus statue in Lebanon, and the trend of soldiers wearing unauthorized badges and patches bearing religious, messianic and political messages.

“The unethical incidents we have seen are the product of a long and complex period, but that does not justify them. We must not compromise on our values. The erosion of norms could be no less dangerous than operational threats,” he says, while speaking at a conference of the IDF’s senior command staff today.

During the conference, Zamir displayed a picture of a soldier wearing a patch that read “Stop the hatred, it is time for violence,” and asked the participants, “Is this how you want our army? This is a rebellion against IDF values.”

Zamir says that the “phenomenon of looting, if it exists, is disgraceful and could stain the entire IDF,” after Haaretz reported last week that there has been widespread looting by Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.

“If such incidents occurred, we will investigate them,” he says.

The IDF recently punished soldiers who took part in smashing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, and said it was investigating a video of soldiers damaging solar panels. Zamir showed the participants of the conference the picture of the crucifix being smashed.

Zamir also says that soldiers, both in the standing army and reserves, “must not use social media as a tool to spread controversial messages or for self-promotion.”

“This is a red line that must not be crossed, and those who do so will be dealt with disciplinarily,” he says, though soldiers are rarely punished for posting content online.

On women in the IDF, Zamir says that they are “an inseparable part of the IDF and its operational strength.”

“There will be no exclusion of women in the IDF,” he says.

“We will continue to enable service for diverse populations, without harming others or at their expense. We will do this while preserving the identity and values of the IDF,” Zamir says, referring to efforts to draft ultra-Orthodox troops.

On operational matters, Zamir said that the IDF will likely remain fighting on multiple fronts throughout 2026, an assessment he has previously made.

“Since October 7, [2023], the IDF has been engaged in combat, in an ongoing multi-front campaign. We continue to be prepared and on alert for a return to intense fighting in all sectors. 2026 may continue to be a year of combat on each of the fronts,” he said.

He also said the IDF urgently needs more troops: “In light of the growing burden of missions on the IDF in the coming years, the urgent need facing the State of Israel is to increase the number of those serving and fighting, and we will insist on this.”