Two soldiers arrested in Givati hazing scandal

Military Police arrest two more troops from Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion over suspicions they physically abused rookie soldiers

Yoav Zitun|Published: 03.27.12 , 22:39

Military Police on Tuesday arrested two more soldiers from Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion over suspicions they physically abused rookie soldiers in the unit, bringing the total number of suspects to 11, four of whom have already been indicted.

The Military Court in Kastina remanded the two suspects with the judge sharply criticizing the alleged abusers and noting that the evidence in the case was "horrific." "There are those who destroy the image of a commander and who trample discipline," said Justice Colonel Erez Porat.

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He added: "I fail to find a mooring for the conscious consent of the soldiers to the offensive and humiliating violence other than lack of choice or shame of getting caught as abnormal or cowards or as one deserving of ostracism. That kind of pressure is the basis for the consent."

The two suspects were arrested after a Military Police investigation during which they collected testimonies from dozens of troops, officers and non-commissioned officers from the brigade. The conclusions of the investigation revealed that the incidents of abuse took place in a number of battalions in the brigade which is currently serving in the Lebanon sector.

Attorney Benny Kozenitz, who is representing one of the accused soldiers, told Ynet that the multitude of cases in the affair "prove that these are things that happen in the brigade and have been going on for years, so it is a tradition."

Kozenitz believes that like a similar case involving the 74th battalion in the Armored Corps two years ago; this affair will amount to nothing.

The scandal in the Tzabar Battalion of the Givati Brigade was exposed last December and at first was handled within the brigade.

Some of the soldiers involved were sent to serve a prison sentence after facing disciplinary action but the large number of testimonies and complainants led police to intervene.