Over 100 Fighters Abandon Sde Teyman Base in Protest After Commander Removes Unit Morale Signs

More than 100 soldiers and commanders from the Sabra Battalion of the Givati Brigade dramatically abandoned the Sde Teyman base on the same day, leaving behind their weapons and military equipment. The protest followed an incident where the battalion commander broke metal morale plaques called "pogim," which bear the slogans of the companies and platoons within the battalion. This act prompted the fighters to collectively decide to leave the base, carrying only their personal belongings as they returned home.

One commander present at the scene addressed the soldiers, acknowledging the serious consequences of their actions but expressing support for their decision to leave together. He said, "Everyone here knows the consequences of what they are about to do. We are leaving together as a battalion now. I am proud of each and every one of you for what you are doing. There are new soldiers here who don’t understand the consequences, but that doesn’t matter, absence without leave, imprisonment, it doesn’t matter."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded that soldiers had left the base without their commanders’ permission following the battalion commander's decision to remove signs related to non-normative events and traditions known as "old youth" within the battalion. The IDF stated the incident is under investigation and management by commanders and emphasized that the behavior contradicts the IDF’s values and expectations of its soldiers.