100 soldiers stage mass walk-out at southern IDF base after row with their commander

Around 100 infantry soldiers left behind their weapons and abandoned the military’s Sde Teiman base in southern Israel on Thursday after their battalion commander destroyed decorative signs they had put up, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The mass walkout by troops from the Givati Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion was “being investigated and handled by the commanders,” the IDF said. “This is an incident that is inconsistent with the values of the IDF and with what is expected of its soldiers.”

Later, most of the troops, aside from one platoon — around 30-40 soldiers — returned to the base, according to the military.

Footage posted online showed the soldiers marching out of the base while chanting an obscenity against officers. Other footage from the base showed a disorganized mount of guns left behind by the soldiers, and the wreckage of the removed signs, including one with a hellish motif that read “Kingdom of Devils.”

The soldiers claimed the signs were “part of our company’s tradition.” According to the army, the signs contained materials meant to disparage rookie soldiers.

Infantry soldiers in the IDF have a history of hazing new recruits and of deserting en masse over alleged mistreatment by commanders.

The Givati soldiers’ commander gave them until 4 p.m. to return to Sde Teiman or face punishment. The names of soldiers who failed to show up would be forwarded to the Military Police for further handling, the officer said in a message to the troops.

“At exactly 16:00, there will be a check in the company to see who has remained/returned,” read the message. “Anyone who has not returned by 16:00 will be immediately classified as AWOL.”

שוב מרד בחטיבת גבעתי: הורים ללוחמים מגדוד שקד שיצאו מלבנון בימים האחרונים טוענים כי הם החליטו על מרד והניחו את נשקם לאחר שהמג"ד הורה להרוס להם את פינות הזיכרון של הגדוד ודגלים וזכרונות שלהם@ela1949 pic.twitter.com/J7WLkcjkuG

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By the evening, most of the troops had returned to the base, aside from one platoon, the military said.

The IDF said the troops who led the desertion will be sentenced by the commander of the brigade, Col. Netanel Shamaka. The soldiers from the platoon who had not returned were expected to be declared AWOL and be handled by the Military Police.

Regarding the battalion commander who took down decorative signs the troops had put up, the military said it backed his conduct.

Meanwhile, Shamaka and his commander, 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Sagiv Dahan, arrived at the Sde Teiman base to speak with the soldiers regarding the incident.

In a missive to troops, Shamaka said: “During the war, you proved your commitment to the mission. You fought bravely, risked your lives across all combat sectors.”

“Precisely out of this deep appreciation and gratitude, the disciplinary incident that recently took place in the Tzabar Battalion is a grave event that has no place in the IDF in general, nor in the Givati Brigade in particular,” the Givati Brigade commander wrote of the walk-out.

“In the IDF, there is no place for damage to discipline, the authority of commanders, or the fundamental norms upon which our fighting force relies. The incident will be handled with utmost seriousness by the commanders. It will be dealt with out of responsibility and care for the soldiers, but also out of a commitment to set a clear, uncompromising standard,” he added.