IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi ripped a "Moshiach" patch off a soldier's arm during a trip to the northern border.

Halevi placed the patch in the soldier's sleeve pocket, telling him, "You can place this inside, near your heart, but on the uniform you can have only military items."

According to military analyst Doron Kadosh, Halevi has done this a number of times recently. Over the course of the year, there has been a growing trend to add non-military sleeve patches of various kinds, something which the commanders have largely ignored.

A number of online commentators identified with the political Right slammed Halevi, while others expressed support for him. One wrote, "Finally! The IDF is not the army of G-d and they will not walk there with Moshiach tags. Insane messianics - get out!!"

The Torat Halehima organization responded: "The (failed) Chief of Staff busies himself with the Moshiach patch because it's 'not military.' The IDF spokesman published an LGBT flag. That's obviously military. Tell us more about drafting haredim before there's a reboot of the General Staff."