Religious soldiers in the IDF’s 77th Battalion of the Armored Corp’s 7th Brigade were compelled to be mechalel Shabbos – not on one occasion, but several R”L.

According to the Yisrael Hayom report, the worst incident occurred about two weeks ago when former IDF Brigadier-General Avigdor Kahalani arrived with a bus of tourists. Kahalani did not hesitate to use his connections to pull strings for his guests. Frum soldiers were ordered to turn on tanks and give him a ride for about 200 meters to permit the visitors to see how they operate.

The report adds that a platoon commander (2nd lieutenant) complained to the deputy battalion commander and the matter came before the unit’s rav and higher-ranking officers.

It was learned this was not the only incident in which religious soldiers were compelled to violate Shabbos. One soldier explains that just last Shabbos, all of the food was forgotten outside or the refrigerator was locked. All of the food spoiled due to the heat. The cook came in the morning and locked the kitchen from inside and began preparing food. One of the religious soldiers entered the kitchen via a window and say the kitchen crew cooking and the cook explained he preferred cooking on Shabbos rather than telling his superior there was no food Shabbos.

Yisrael Hayom explains Kahalani’s group was visitors who arrived on the base on Shabbos, in violation of military regulations.

The brigade commander probed the incident and the battalion commander was censured and other officers had to attend lectures in which the regulations pertaining to Shabbos were explained in-depth.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)