Dozens of troops from the Tzabar Battalion of the Givati Brigade left their camp in southern Israel a short time ago due to a disagreement with their commander, according to the Israeli military.
Times of Israel, citing the IDF, reported that after the battalion commander chose to demolish and remove signs that the soldiers had erected. The soldiers abandoned the Sde Teiman base without permission from their superiors, abandoning their weapons.
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The army said that the ornamental signage included materials that degraded the unit's rookie soldiers.
The signs, according to the soldiers, were "part of our company's tradition."
“The incident is being investigated and handled by the commanders. This is an incident that is inconsistent with the values of the IDF and with what is expected of its soldiers,” the military says.
Due to claimed unjust treatment in the military, IDF infantry personnel have a history of mass desertion.
Although major localised walkouts and demonstrations over leadership disputes have occurred in certain infantry units, such as the Golani and Givati brigades, the military views these incidents as infrequent, serious disciplinary breaches rather than a long-standing custom of mass defection.
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A strange episode occurred in April 2023 when a whole company of soldiers from the military's Golani Brigade departed their training site on Tuesday, seemingly upset over receiving a new leader.
Usually, participating troops are told to return or risk being tagged absent without leave (AWOL) and going to military prison.
Meanwhile, the commander of the Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion ordered the soldiers to return by 4 p.m. or risk punishment, so they abandoned their position in southern Israel.
“At exactly 16:00, there will be a check in the company to see who has remained/returned. Anyone who has not returned by 16:00 will be immediately classified as AWOL,” a message to the troops read, warning them that the names of those missing will be sent to the Military Police.
"Every soldier in the battalion, from the battalion commander down to the last soldier, fought in the war and risked their lives in every combat sector," according to a senior IDF official.
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