Israel Matzav

Golani soldiers wear anti-expulsion t-shirts to graduation

Remember this incident in which soldiers from the Shimshon Brigade unfurled a banner at their graduation saying that they wouldn't expel Jews? It's happened again, this time in the Golani Brigade.

Soldier's from the Golani Bridage's Battalion 13 who completed training Thursday wore t-shirts protesting the use of IDF soldiers in expelling Jews in Judea and Samaria from their homes.

The graduation ceremony, held at the Golani junction, was attended by soldiers and parents from across the political spectrum. The soldier's shirts read: "The Golani fights enemies and doesn't expel Jews."

The Yesha Council, representing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, said, "the Defense Minister and senior political officials need to take stock of how they deploy soldiers. Using soldiers to expel Jews from the settlements instead of fighting the real enemy leads people from all corners of the population to declare not to give them these kinds of tasks."

Indeed.

UPDATE 6:22 PM

The IDF soldiers involved in this incident have been sentenced to 10-30 days in the brig.

Yair Ben-David, creator of the t-shirts that have caused an uproar in the IDF, demonstrated on Friday outside the home of Golani commander Col. Ofek Buchris for sending his brother to 30 days in prison.

The incident took place Thursday night at a ceremony for soldiers of Golani's 13th Battalion who had completed their training. The soldiers were pictured wearing t-shirts with the slogan "Golani fights the enemy and does not expel Jews" written on their backs.

Buchris, who was not present at the ceremony, immediately summoned four out of the 10 soldiers who wore the shirts and sentenced them to jail time for "expressing political opinions", something soldiers in uniform are not allowed to do. Ben-David's brother was sentenced to 30 days since Buchris accused him of knowing of the scheme to wear the shirts. The other soldiers were sentenced to 20 and 10 days in jail.

Ben-David tells a different story. He said he brought the shirts to the ceremony after seeing soldiers wear them at a different ceremony. In contrast to original reports, Ben-David claimed Friday that the soldiers did not wear the shirts during the ceremony and only put them on after the ceremony was completed, they had been discharged to their homes and were standing in the parking lot.

"This was not a political protest," Ben-David said Friday. "The soldiers did not show the shirts during the ceremony. They weren't even wearing them then. They only put them on after the ceremony was finished and they were released home for the weekend."

As a former soldier from Golani who had served in the past under Buchris, Ben-David said he was surprised by the harsh punishment.

"I wonder if a soldier who wears a Peace Now shirt under his uniform would be punished this way," he said. "There is also nothing political with what was said on the shirt. I think everyone in Israel will agree with me that Golani's job is to fight our enemies and not fellow Jews."

The IDF is investigating Ben David's version of the story, and says that if it turns out to be true, the sentences may be reduced or canceled.

And no, no one would be punished for wearing a Peace Now shirt. That is precisely the problem.

Labels: Gaza expulsion, Golani Brigade, IDF following orders

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:58 PM