Hesder refuseniks given 28-day sentence
Religious troops who refused to evacuate Hebron families will receive jail time, be dismissed from combat duty
After consulting rabbis, twelve soldiers and two commanders from the Kfir Brigade of the Duchifat Battalion announced Monday morning that they would not take part in the evacuation of families living in the city's market area.
Originally, 30 soldiers - all former yeshiva students - declared their refusal of a scheduled Tuesday deployment to replace a Border Guard force in the West Bank and take part in the forced evacuation. Their statements prompted unit officers to threaten a severe response, leading over half of the group to comply.
The army emphasized that settlers in the market district of Hebron had been given several opportunities to evacuate the area willingly and had been warned that they would be evicted by force if they did not leave of their own accord. They added that many of the settlers had behaved violently towards soldiers.
Sign reads: He who lays a hand on my home, I will cut it off (Photo: Yesha council)
"There will be absolutely zero compassion for any settlers who behave violently towards security forces. Forces will respond firmly towards anyone who misbehaves and will enforce the law to the fullest," IDF officials told Ynet Monday night.
Meanwhile, the Jewish settlement in Hebron is preparing to try and stop the buses from entering. Additionally, a special fund headed by an American millionaire has spread the word among troops in Hebron that a soldier who will refuse an evacuation order will receive a financial award of up to 600 dollars.
Prior to the trial, tensions also increased after family members of some of the soldiers arrived at the battalion's army base and threatened to block the buses meant to take the soldiers to the mission in Hebron. One of the signs they prepared read, "My son, don't expel."
