Fourteen Givati soldiers were sentenced on Friday to 30 days in military prison and dismissed from combat service after leaving their base during a protest over the removal of a battalion memorial display.
The incident occurred at the Sde Teiman base, where soldiers from the Givati Brigade walked off the base after claiming their battalion commander had ordered the dismantling of several plaques left as mementos by previous draft cycles. The soldiers, who had recently returned from operations in Lebanon, also laid down their weapons in protest.
According to the IDF, about 80 soldiers who left the base later returned and will participate in a command and educational process with their commanders aimed at reinforcing discipline and military values. One soldier had not returned as of Friday.
The battalion commander told parents that he had ordered the removal of wooden signs depicting figures such as "Satan" and the "Angel of Death," saying they were part of harmful initiation traditions involving violence and humiliation. He said a limited number of other signs would remain due to their sentimental value and emphasized that the decision had no connection to the battalion's memorial corner or its fallen soldiers, contrary to reports circulating in some media outlets.
The battalion commander also stated that many of the soldiers who left the base acted under peer pressure rather than deliberate judgment. He gave them until 4:00 p.m. Thursday to return, warning that those who failed to do so would face disciplinary consequences, while urging parents to encourage their sons to come back.
In a letter to brigade personnel, the Givati Brigade commander praised the soldiers for their wartime service but described leaving the base as a serious breach of military discipline. He said the incident would be dealt with firmly, stressing that the brigade's values of discipline, responsibility, and trust between commanders and soldiers "are non-negotiable, both in combat and in routine."