Sign waved at induction ceremony
Photo: Miri Tzahi, courtesy of Homesh First
Shimshon insubordinate soldier discharged
In unprecedented move, IDF dismisses soldier under clause of 'bad conduct' after showing no remorse for waving sign against settlement evacuation at Western Wall induction ceremony
IDF stepping up war on insubordination: Ynet has learned that a soldier involved in carrying a sign urging disobedience at the Western Wall induction ceremony was dismissed from the military after refusing to express remorse over his actions. The decision was made by a senior personnel officer following a recommendation from a command committee.
The political protest of recruits in the Kfir Brigade's Shimshon Battalion in October caused a storm, which also led to Defense Minister Ehud Barak's unprecedented decision to sever ties with the Har Bracha Hesder Yeshiva. The Military decided to take a firm stance, with Monday's move being the most severe against a single soldier.
During the October induction ceremony, a group of cadets raised a sign that read "Shimshon won't evacuate Homesh". Those behind the deed took pride in their decision and showed no remorse. Kfir Brigade Commander Colonel Oren Abman removed two of the soldiers from the hesder unit and they were even tried to some 20 days detention.
Soldier refused to commit won't repeat act (Photo: Miri Tzach)
These steps did not deter other soldiers from the brigade from taking similar action. Last week Colonel Gadi Agmon, commander of the Meitav Induction Base, decided for the first time to remove two Nachshon Battalion soldiers involved in waving a similar sign just one month later from the hesder unit.
In accordance with the recommendations of Central Command chief Avi Mizrahi, Agmon also decided to remove one of the soldiers involved in the sign-waving incident at the Western Wall from the hesder unit. The soldier will now be forced to serve a regular 36-month military term.
His comrade, on the other hand, refused to show any sign of regret or understanding of the severity of his actions, and refused to commit that he would not repeat them. In this case Agmon ruled that there was no room to keep the soldier in the army, and he is to be discharged, unprecedentedly under such circumstances, for "bad conduct".
This clause is general reserved for soldiers with serious disciplinary problems such as deflection and violent offences. A discharge certificate with this clause is meant to "brand" the soldiers as they enter civilian life, and prevent them from receiving the benefits received by soldiers who complete full service.
Military sources told Ynet that soldiers must be able to distinguish what is permitted from what is forbidden, and when they err, they must take responsibility for their actions. "When a soldier chooses the path of demonstrating insubordination and does not see the severity of his actions – there is no place for him in the army," an IDF source said.
