The IDF says commanders allowed soldiers operating in Bnei Brak to dress as medics from the Magen David Adom rescue group in order to avoid being attacked.
The military says the move was a “mistake in decision-making” by commanders in the field and soldiers should only be deployed while wearing their IDF uniforms, according to Army Radio, which first reported on the incident.
Some 700 soldiers have been deployed to back up police operations to enforce shelter-in-place orders, which have mostly centered on ultra-Orthodox communities, some of whose members have continued to congregate.
Police officers detain a man in Beit Shemesh while enforcing social distancing rules on March 31, 2020. (Yaakov Lederman/Flash90)
The deployment of the soldiers has thrust troops who normally only operate on borders and in the West Bank into a near-unprecedented situation.
A Police officer walks with soldiers as they patrol Jerusalem city center to enforce a partial lockdown in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on March 31, 2020. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Soldiers on leave have been attacked in the past when entering ultra-Orthodox areas while in uniform, due to deep anti-Zionist sentiment and vociferous opposition to mandatory military service among portions of the community.
On Sunday, police refused to step in to enforce social distancing measures during a mass funeral in Bnei Brak, apparently fearing that doing so could devolve into rioting.
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.
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
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
