Dozens of soldiers and commanders from the Givati Brigade's Tzabar battalion abandoned their weapons and went AWOL from the Sde Teiman base, according to reports. The incident followed the battalion commander's destruction of the unit's morale plaques in front of the troops.
The Zioneer has confirmed that dozens of soldiers and commanders from the Givati Brigade's Tzabar battalion abandoned their weapons and went AWOL from the Sde Teiman base in southern Israel, after the battalion commander destroyed the unit's morale plaques — metal plates engraved with battalion and company slogans — in front of the troops. The incident, first reported at 13:30 Jerusalem, has been updated with new details throughout the afternoon. The latest reports identify the soldiers as members of the Tzabar battalion and describe the use of a five-kilogram sledgehammer to break the plaques.
At 13:30 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported an unverified claim that over 100 soldiers and commanders from the Givati Brigade's Tzabar battalion had gone AWOL after the battalion commander broke the unit's morale plaques. Within minutes, the report was updated with more details: a commander was quoted telling the troops they were 'going together as a battalion,' and the number of participants was given as over 100. At 14:07 Jerusalem, a soldier told Walla that a commander used a five-kilogram sledgehammer to destroy the symbols, corroborating the earlier reports. The story has evolved from an unverified social media claim to a confirmed account with multiple sources.
The incident comes amid broader challenges within the IDF. As The Zioneer reported on July 16, a senior commander at the Nabi Musa base ordered reservists to leave the base, causing a commotion. On June 30, an IDF official warned of near-record 90,000 draft dodgers amid 'extreme' non-cooperation. Additionally, on July 20, Col. Ami Biton left the IDF following allegations of mistreating subordinates, highlighting ongoing personnel issues.
The IDF has not commented on the incident. The exact number of soldiers involved and the circumstances that led the battalion commander to destroy the morale plaques remain unclear. The motivation for the commander's action has not been reported.
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