The "most moral army in the world", as DM Barak put it. And now - how these people can treat Palestinians?

Can you imagine what they do to Palestinian children?

This is the Army we are talking about, not some ballet dancing. If some one is not tough enough, then may be they shouldnt be in the Army!

check your boys! Get together and sue the pants off those sadistic ,sick and disgusting commanders!! They need to feel hurt by their criminal acts!!! Act NOW!!!

condemned? Why just attack a senior in the IDF? Mothers leave welts on children for the most minor of offenses, but that is okay? And what about fathers beating their children? That's okay, too? Why have discipline at all? Why not have anarchy? I saw what happened in the US Navy when a senior enlisted could beat up an out of line sailor. That resulted in discipline and fear of that happening to someone else. But now, orders are not given without a qualifying, "if you want to" or "if you don't mind" or "if that's all right with you". So there is anarchy and American cannot win wars anymore. Think America won in Iraq? Read Ezekiel chapter 32 to find out the eventual outcome which may be next year: the US troops (multitude) and leader will be destroyed by a sword of the king of Babylon (weapons of mass destruction the media said did not exist). Then the UN Grecian he-goat will attack Iran with fury Daniel chapter 8 says. The word "nations" in United Nations and League of Nations means...GENTILES!

Readers set you straight on the previous article. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3748161,00.html This is about abuse and it has nothing to do with training. Your arguments are sickening and nothing but twisted psychological manipulation, implying that if a man cannot tolerate humiliation and perverted abuse, he's no man enough. People who use their minds do not buy your argument. People who are guided by proper values do not buy your argument. People who honor their bodies and their spirit would not subject themselves to such treatment. You must be a non-Jew who delights in the idea of Jews inflicting pain on each other.

Family abuse is one thing. Abuse perpetrated by a national institution such as the Army - where people are obligated to serve - is a completely different situation. I agree that mothers who abuse their children should be accountable to justice. Also any parent who is aware of the other parent's abuse of the children and does nothing should be charged with complicity. But don't mix apples and oranges. This is a very serious issue and Israelis should put enough pressure on their government so any member of the IDF who perpetrates abuse should be severely penalized.

while not pc, sometimes a few bruises are well worth the type of comaraderie, and pride in one's unit, and mental toughness - things that go a long way on the battlefield - that also result from these types of rituals. Fighting men have done it for 1000s of years. Its an irrational, but men are drawn to the ritual because it ironically forms strong bonds. I realize that sounds barbaric and backwards, but as long as no one is seriously injured, this type of hazing has its value. Go ahead and shred me in the talkbacks, but for those who have never been on a aports team, or a fraternity, or an army - then I wouldnt expect you to understand anyways. And i agree with the army commander. Its compulsory, but these guys can choose not to be in combat. Were they expecting summer camp and pony rides. And then to be a tattletale, giving photos to the media? What a bunch of wussies

Is it so important to the media to fing fauly with thr IDF the writing journalist must be an army deserter.Initation ceremonies are used in all the army's in the worfld.This little sissy with daddy crying thinks the IDF must be diferent. Wonder if daddy di his military service or is he an olleh finding Isreal a little hard to his exprctations????

If you expose what the soldiers go through in their training, why nothing about the suffering of Palestinians? There is a total blackout on the prisonners, including children, mothers with their babies, old, sick , disabled even blind Palestinians!! they are suffering just for being Palestinians in their homeland. This inhumanity must be exposed and stopped!!

I repeat NO excuse for any of that. Hazing has nothing to do with toughing up a soldier and everything to do with the brutal nature of an individual miscreant. And that is what you have here

for not obeying a command to go buy his commander cigarettes on shabbos! Then you wonder why hareidim do not want to serve in the IDF

Either the officers had bad trainers or the officers simply got their ranks way too soon and too easily. Needless to say they were out of line and if it would have happened to me, I would have taken the officer out with my rifle. So start training these guys better. Thanks.

in the IDF to change its secular culture. Please encourage religious Jews to join in great numbers and to oppose and denounce any humiliation. It does not have to be physical punishment. Any humiliation, any violation of Jewish laws and values. Israel cannot fight or survive without living under a code of Jewish values - very especially in the army.

And please keep providing us with follow ups.

When these things occur in fraternities in the US, it is disgusting and repugnant. For this type of incident to occur in the IDF is even worse. The IDF prides itself on treating others with honor even in hostile situations---"the most moral army in the world". When repulsive hazing occurs and breaches of of codes of honor and or conduct occur, it is impossible to defend the IDF with any degree of confidence. Hopefully, these crimes occur very infrequently, but for the to happen at all, taints the entire IDF. It erodes confidence. It mars the image of Israel. Those of us who staunchly support Israel, need to know that others will be treated well and respected. In my opinion, those responsible should face criminal charges. Their actions were criminal and damaging to Israel and the IDF.

Anyone who even attempts to justify this crude and senseless kind of behaviour is misquided and probably sadistic not to mention possessing a low IQ. He simple does not understand what the Jewish state represents. He may not even be Jewish. Trying to justify this kind of behaviour by claiming it 'toughens up' soldiers is just plain bullshit. A good soldier must learn discipline, skills and survivial techniques. He must learn to work as part of a team. He must also learn self control under trying conditions. He must be a credit to the Jewish people. That is what should motivate him, not some primitative hazing ceremony to entertain bored, dumb and screwed-up IDF officers.

Agree 100%! # 3 - absolute BS! All the participants of this disgrace MUST be put in jail and sentensed to as long jail time as permitted by law for this criminal behaviour. They are downright criminals and MUST NOT have anything to do with Army, just like their despeakable behaviour has nothing to do with training.

Absolutely right! Get together and sue each and every one of these sadistic criminals!!!! ASAP!!!! Don't waste a minute!!! These sadistic bullies MUST BE PUNISHED AS SEVERELY AS POSSIBLE, and justice must be not only done, but also seen! It's for their victims' sake, and also for the Military - soldiers and commanders.

It was THE SECOND such hazing "ceremony", not the first! After the first one a soldier approached SENIOR COMMANDERS, but NOTHING was done! None of those criminal sadists was punished or at least dismissed. THAT IS WHY IT HAPPENED AGAIN! Parents! Get together! Find out who those senior commanders that did NOTHING THEN were, and sue them!

These mothers and fathers ARE condemned! But not by Orthodox society, for your information.

Dear "Army Commander".... As a commander in the same army.....this was one of the more despicable, outrageous, preposterous, scandalous, atrocious, monstrous, and heinous acts I have seen !! Not sure where & when you claim to be a commander, but condoning this act suggests you were a very poor commander. The army is meant to train & toughen those that are inducted & prepare them for battle, but not to manhandle, maul & mistreat its recruits. I have had the privelege of serving in a combat unit in the IDF and being a commander (sadir, keva & miluim !!!), but this goes beyond any practices in the IDF and must be dealt with severely.

I served in IDF many years ago and NOT in the kitchen.As a soldier and as a COMMANDER, I never could imagine myself something like this.You call yourself commander??? pashut tabah o mahsanai.

their friends, not their country or some cause. They are trapped in the military just as children are trapped in families that abuse them. Fathers and mothers beat their children but would also die for them. So how are families and the IDF different? Both are compulsory and both are emotional and loving and brutal and in both the seniors would die for the juniors they punish just as the juniors would die for each other. What greater way to bond the troops to each other than to have a common enemy who whipped them all?

God's camp, he/she can ask the Lord to avenge him/her and HE WILL. I have seen people who were brutal to me lose a child later in life or have their seed cut off or lose their job or lose a beloved spouse. God's vengeance is exquisite. I always get revenge through the justice of God toward those who afflict the people of God wrongly. I don't know all the outcomes of my requests for vengeance from God, but I know enough of them to know God avenges mightily.

to desecrate the Shabbat when that was not necessary, the injured person should ask the Lord to avenge him. I would not want to be the person who was the attacker if the motivation was as you say. When I was attacked at a Naval Reserve Training Center in San Diego and told I was too religious and to resign my commission as a Lieutenant or be forced out, I asked God to avenge me. That resulted in the death of Captain Lamar Smith who was involved in the attack on me, plus the loss of over half the US Navy's ships in the twenty years that followed. Now the US Navy has no defense from Tesla HAARP weapons or Sunburst nuclear tipped missiles that fly below radar. The only protection the US Navy has from such weapons is to have ten righteous men or women on board each ship or base for supernatural protection like God told Abraham Sodom needed to have to avoid destruction. Driving out the righteous is very foolish for the IDF or the US military or any military since that is where protection comes from: God's love for the few.

because the Lord will not protect swine eaters and those who eat unclean foods, Isaiah the Prophet said in chapters 65 and 66. They are an abomination to the Lord. That is one of Israel's secrets as is keeping the Shabbat in so far as is possible.

mr,army comander ?? , you were a comander in the SS?, you are complete nuts, you need to be examined by a team of experts. \You are a sick man.....