From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 8, 2025
IDF suspends reservist from combat duty over video calling to blow up Al-Aqsa Mosque
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF has suspended a reservist from combat duty after a video posted to social media showed him calling to blow up Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Like we are blowing up a picture of Al-Aqsa, God willing, we will have the privilege of really blowing up Al-Aqsa and building the temple,” the reservist says in a video, as he is seen rigging up explosives in a home, while pointing to a decorative piece depicting the mosque in Jerusalem.
In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the IDF says that when commanders discovered the video, the reservist was dismissed by his battalion commander and received a formal reprimand.
“The IDF views these types of statements, which are contrary to the IDF’s values, with great severity,” the army adds.
מי שאחראי בראש ובראשונה לזוהמה המסוכנת הזו ולהתפשטות התופעה הוא לא סמוטריץ׳ ולא בן גביר בלבד. הוא הרמט״ל וגם הפצ״רית. ורק אח״כ הם ועוד אחרים. pic.twitter.com/IvyUH1FnWS
— Ahmad Tibi (@Ahmad_tibi) May 8, 2025
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