Most Soldiers Punished in Armored Personnel Carrier Incident to Be Released

Eleven of the 16 "Hesder" soldiers from the Rotem Battalion of the Givati Brigade, who were imprisoned following an incident involving an armored personnel carrier and a medic, are set to be released from military prison on Friday after five days of detention. Five soldiers will serve an additional five days.

Parents of the Hesder soldiers had appealed to IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, demanding his intervention in the affair that led to the soldiers' imprisonment. In a letter titled "Crisis of Trust and Command Failure in the Rotem Battalion: Call for Emergency Meeting," they stated, "In the Rotem Battalion, as of now, there is no trust." They described their sons as outstanding soldiers who fought in Lebanon and Gaza, where eight soldiers were wounded, three critically, during their first combat experience.

The parents argue that the core issue is not the dispute over the medic entering the APC, but a deeper crisis of trust between the soldiers and command. They claim the crisis began earlier, on August 8, during a training exercise held on Shabbat, which they say soldiers were forced to participate in despite religious objections, with assurances it was approved by the brigade's rabbinate. The IDF confirmed there was no operational necessity for the exercise on Shabbat and it was not brought to the brigade rabbi's attention.

The parents contend this prior incident influenced how the soldiers later reacted to the order to enter the APC with the medic, stating, "When the same pattern repeated itself, and the soldiers were called to violate joint service regulations claiming everything was approved by the rabbinate, it is not surprising that they found it difficult to trust things."

They also strongly criticized the punishments as "outrageous," calling it "collective punishment" instead of the system taking responsibility for command failures. The parents asserted that some soldiers were punished for expressing opinions without being present at the event, questioning the legality of the proceedings. They warned that the affair could significantly impact the IDF, particularly concerning thousands of yeshiva students who observe religious law and are considering their military service options while maintaining their faith. The parents concluded by placing responsibility on the Chief of Staff's office, stating, "We are giving full trust that you will hear our voice, enter the event, and do justice where injustice was done to our sons," and demanded the soldiers' immediate release.