Ex-Givati Commander Ofer Winter: Soldiers Who Refused Orders Should Be Punished

Retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter, former commander of the Givati Brigade, stated that he would have punished soldiers from the Rotem Battalion who refused to board an APC with a female paramedic, asserting that insubordination has no place in the IDF. However, Winter added that after imposing punishment, he would investigate the circumstances that led to the refusal.

During an interview with Channel 12, Winter was asked if he would send the soldiers to jail for refusing the order. He responded that his stance has always been consistent: "We do not refuse orders." He recalled his own experience during the disengagement from Gush Katif, where his family was evacuated, stating, "I told them we will not refuse orders." Winter emphasized that discipline is the IDF's strength and what is expected of soldiers.

Winter clarified that while he would punish the soldiers for refusing the order, he would then conduct an inquiry. He also stressed the need for the military to consider how it manages joint service issues, stating, "We want male and female soldiers to be in the IDF and not to force a finger in the eye, especially when we also want to integrate the ultra-Orthodox." He believes that not every issue should become a political debate.

Winter's remarks come in the wake of the incident in the Rotem Battalion, where soldiers were confined for ten days after refusing to board an APC with a female paramedic. The soldiers claimed the refusal stemmed from a crisis of trust with their company commander, exacerbated by a previous incident. Weeks prior, a company drill involving casualty evacuation and IV insertion was held on Shabbat, which the soldiers claimed lacked operational necessity and was misrepresented as having rabbinical approval.

The IDF confirmed that the Shabbat drill had no operational reason and was not brought to the attention of the brigade rabbi, acknowledging that the drill "harmed the soldiers' way of life." The company commander was summoned for an inquiry. The soldiers and their parents argued that this incident eroded their trust in command, directly influencing their reaction to the paramedic incident. The Hesder Yeshivot Association also pointed to a trust crisis, citing a lack of adherence to Halakha and orders, and misrepresentation to soldiers. Parents of the soldiers have reportedly contacted IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, stating, "In the Rotem Battalion, as of now, there is no trust."