Twenty paratroopers of the 890th Battalion are facing possible expulsion from the brigade after they abandoned their Hebron post on Tuesday (6 Tishrei). It appears they felt orders to clean the outpost were simply not fitting for them, veteran soldiers in the brigade, opting to walk off the job. Twelve agreed to return and face the cleaning detail, while eight refused.

The IDF Spokespersons’ Office released a statement that the soldiers were called upon to take part in ‘routine maintenance’ of the outpost.

Based on past similar instances in the past, in all likelihood, the eight will be ousted from the paratroops brigade, especially since the incident did not involve insubordination in a training setting, but rather an operational outpost in a particularly volatile area. The eight who returned will most likely face disciplinary charges which may include some jail time.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)