IDF Spokesperson Moti Almoz writes a Facebook post admitting that the military erred in punishing a lone soldier for eating a nonkosher sandwich.
“In the bottom line, we were wrong. The IDF continues to keep kosher on the one hand, but will not pry into the sandwiches brought by soldiers on the other hand.”
The soldier was initially sentenced to 11 days in jail; his punishment was then lightened to a simple denial of Shabbat furlough. But today he was released home along with his colleagues in the unit.
IDF Spokerman Moti Almoz in a photo from June 15, 2014. (FLASH90)
“There are tensions in Israeli society and there are different positions and different views. The IDF has room for everyone. The punishment was canceled and the soldier will be released home just like his friends in the commanders’ course,” Almoz writes.
The story was revealed by Israel Radio yesterday. The soldier, who is a lone immigrant from the US, lives with his grandmother and she gave him the nonkosher sandwiches. The soldier was tried by his regiment commander and initially given jail time despite explaining that he was not aware of the IDF rules regarding kashrut.
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