Four Border Police soldiers from the Beit Horon base, including two medics, were sent to serve prison sentences in a military jail after lighting a barbecue during Shabbat within the base.
According to a report by Kan News, a non-commissioned officer passing by noticed the violation of Shabbat and the breach of orders and reprimanded them. The soldiers extinguished the fire, and the NCO later filed an official complaint with the base commander.
In disciplinary proceedings held at the base, the soldiers were initially sentenced to 20 days in prison. After appealing the severity of the punishment, the sentence was reduced to 10 days, which they are currently serving.
The Border Police backed the commanders’ decision, stating that “this constitutes a serious violation of orders."
On the other hand, the soldiers’ families expressed anger over the decision, arguing that the punishment was disproportionate: “These are soldiers with no prior complaints, and there should be a scale in sentencing."