An unprecedented decision by the Israel Defense Forces has seen an entire reserve battalion suspended from activity following an incident in which a CNN crew was attacked, sparking international outrage.
The IDF suspended all soldiers from Reserve 941st Battalion, known as “Netzah Yisrael,” whose members are graduates of the Netzah Yehuda framework.
The incident occurred while a CNN team was covering what was described as an illegal settler takeover of nearby land. According to reports, the journalists were confronted by IDF troops who attempted to halt their work, aimed weapons at them, and in one case placed a cameraman in a chokehold, damaging his equipment.
During the confrontation, soldiers reportedly told the journalists that all of the West Bank belongs to Jews and said they were seeking revenge for the killing of Yehuda Sherman, who police said was murdered in a ramming attack last Saturday.
The entire battalion was dismissed during a Zoom call and instructed to collect their belongings and return home within 24 hours, at least until after Passover. According to officials familiar with the matter, the move was intended to send a deterrent message to troops.
‘A humiliating decision’
Soldiers in the battalion expressed shock at what they described as collective punishment, which they said was ordered directly by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
“It’s breaking, it hurts,” soldiers said. “You get called up five times over the past two and a half years, and now they spit on you and throw you out.”
“Why stay in the reserves? Why recruit ultra-Orthodox soldiers if you can just throw away the reservists you already have? What justification is there for treating 450 soldiers like this? Who will show up after an event like this?” they added.
A battalion officer told Ynet that a single soldier’s actions had led to punishment for the entire unit.
“There are many soldiers here who sacrifice everything, and this is a humiliating decision,” he said. “There is no comfort in sending people home on the eve of Passover. They know how to call you up when they need you, and then they spit on you.”
The decision comes a day after the IDF announced that the chief of staff had ordered a rapid presentation of the findings from the ongoing investigation into the incident, along with command-level recommendations.
The directive followed a conversation between Zamir and Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.