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Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office
Golani soldier
Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office

Golani troops abandon northern post

Soldiers furious over rejection of their benefits leave post located opposite Hizbullah post during military operations

A protest that broke out at battalion 51 of the Golani brigade ended Sunday with a rebellion of dozens of soldiers, who left their post during military operations on the northern border, despite the Hizbullah post located opposite them.

 

Soldiers said that the rebellion broke out after senior company personnel insisted on canceling benefits due to them, due to their status as senior army staff, according to their claims.

 

The anger accumulated by soldiers against their commanders had been building up for a while, but what caused them to abandon the post was an incident which took place on Saturday.


Entrance to post on northern border abandoned by rebelling soldiers (Photo: Effie Shrir)

 

In the morning hours, beds of ultra-Religious soldiers were found sprayed with shampoo. In response, the commander of the battalion called in six soldiers who were in the post overnight and informed them: "One of you did this, if you don't give me his name, you will all be punished."

 

On Sunday morning, the six soldiers were supposed to report to the regiment commander, but the soldiers left the post instead with the rest of their friends from the company, who are veteran soldiers.

 

Soldiers chased in Kiryat Shmona

 

The soldiers and their friends who joined them in a sympathy protest took a bus to the town of Kiryat Shmona, but senior company personnel chased them in order to return them to the post.

 

  A chase developed in Kiryat Shmona after staff from the military headquarters of the regiment joined in, leaving the post almost completely abandoned.

 

During the chase, the commanders caught one soldier, while others hid on the roof of a building being constructed. The cat and mouse game continued when the escaped soldiers continued to hide in a nearby public park, but they were found their company commander, who mobilized the regiment commander, his deputy, and others who took part in the chase.

 

At this stage, soldiers ended their attempts, and commanders who arrived at the area spoke to them and demanded that they return to their post.

 

During talks with commanders, the soldiers explained that that they had a year to go before their release from the IDF, and that the rebellion was launched due to a failure to deliver the benefits owed to them due to their status.

 

They also said that despite being on the northern border for two months, they are forbidden to sing the company song or raise flags and signs showing their status as veteran soldiers.

 

The soldiers were also annoyed that even senior-ranking members were included in kitchen work.

 

Commander: Story blown out of proportion

 

Golani Division Commander Colonel Tamir Yedi said in response to the soldiers' claims: "This is also what will happen in the future. We won't give up on discipline, and we will launch a total war over this issue."

The commander told Ynet that the story was totally blown out of proportions.

 

"There were six soldiers facing a hearing by the regiment commander, and they were the ones who chose to escape. The rest, 11 soldiers, who were on their way to the post and heard what happened from their friends, chose not to arrive and stayed in Metula," he said.

 

"After the regiment commander and his people arrived, they asked "who doesn’t want to be a warrior? Who doesn’t want to be in the company?" and none of them gave a positive answer. Within two hours, they were all at the post and couldn’t stop apologizing and expressing their regrets over what happened," he added.

 

The IDF Spokesperson's Office said Monday morning: "The post was not abandoned. It was manned with warriors from the unit and the operational activity continued as planned."  

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.17.06, 10:24
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