The leftist Peace Now movement has slammed a strong letter of support written by reserve soldiers from the IDF Shimshon battalion that was submitted to Kfir Brigade commanders on Wednesday. The letter called for the government to stop using the IDF to carry out political mandates "such as chasing after Jews... as though they were the biggest of terrorists." In a response to the letter, Peace Now said, "Rightist elements are making a lofty effort to divide the IDF and turn the Shimshon battalion into a private voice for settlers. It's up to the IDF to remove from reserve duty every soldier who supports insubordination, and tries to make the IDF political."

The letter was written following a 20-day imprisonment of two soldiers who raised a protest banner at an IDF ceremony at the Western Wall last month, stating "Shimshon does not evacuate Homesh," one of the four northern Samaria towns destroyed in the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza. The army has repeatedly been sent to expel activists who have attempted to resettle the site.