According to an IDF soldier, a resident of the community of Yitzhar in Shomron, a father of three, he was been disciplined and banned from serving in Yehuda or Shomron after he distributed flyers relating to last Yom Kippur’s violence in Akko that sparked weeks of racial riots in the city.

The 24-year-old soldier was brought before a senior officer for a hearing, and he maintains that as a result of the hearing, he is banned from Yosh military bases. The flyers that he was distributed state that violence beginning last Yom Kippur was the result of Arab provocation.

According to a Walla report, the soldier is a former resident of Gush Katif, and relocated to Yitzhar following the 2005 expulsion. He then began serving in the south, at which time he distributed literature pertaining to the Yom Kippur riots, stating at the time, there were only Arab policemen on duty and the locals relied on the fact the Arab police would not intervene to stop the violence.

It appears he was not sent to prison because he is married with a family. A friend of the soldier states that the decision to prohibit him from serving in Yehuda and Shomron is truly absurd, stating if the soldier is dangerous, then he should not serve at all and if he is not, then why distance him from his family and prohibit him from serving close to home. He adds that what is truly amazing is the entire matter was sparked by his distribution of flyers pertaining to Akko, where he can serve, but in Yehuda and Shomron, close to home, he is banned. The friend stressed he is a good soldier and the punishment is truly not fitting for the so-called crime.

The IDF Spokesman’s Office reports the soldier distributed inciteful material, in violation of military regulations, leading to his arrest by military police and the subsequent hearing. Because of his family status, he was sentenced to a 30-day probationary sentence for a year, [which means if he repeats the offense in the next year, he will be compelled to serve the sentence].

As a result of the disciplinary hearing, he was assigned to a Central Command reserve duty unit and there was no decision regarding any future assignment for the soldier. Any reports that his future assignments are connected to the disciplinary hearing are not based in fact.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)