‘No Politician to Interfere in Our Decisions,’ Israeli Military Chief Warns Ben-Gvir

Far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir asked Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday for permission to visit the soldier sentenced to 10 days in military prison for threatening left-wing activists in Hebron last week, just as the Israeli military announced it has decided to follow through with the punishment following an investigation.

“I don’t see anything wrong with the soldier’s behavior towards the bullies and I regret the disproportionate punishment directed at him,” Ben-Gvir wrote in the letter, adding that he “would like to visit the soldier in the military prison tomorrow and provide him with support.”

Lt. Col. Aviran Alfasi, the commander who imposed the 10-day sentence on the soldier, has been receiving threats and abuse, both to his personal phone and on social media, ever since the Otzma Yehudit leader’s visit to the jailed soldier’s family.

Meeting with the soldier’s father on Tuesday, the Kahanist lawmaker demanded that “the IDF chief of staff and the army leadership think twice about this punishment,” and that “It can’t be that anarchists come, curse, spit, and attack our heroic soldiers.

Ben-Gvir’s involvement in the case has sparked a series of confrontations with Israeli military chief Aviv Kochavi, who was quick to respond on Wednesday morning, declaring that “We’ll allow no politician, neither from the right nor from the left, to interfere in command decisions.”

The Chief of Staff emphasized that “The commanders, and only the commanders, determine the norms and the way incidents are handled in their units … Slandering commanders on political grounds is a slippery slope that we as a society must not succumb to.”

Ben-Gvir responded to the chief of staff’s comments, saying he “would expect from the Chief of Staff that just as he demanded a soldier not to make political statements, he himself should also refrain from political statements,” adding that while he has “has no intention of interfering with the punishment, the policy must change.”

Ben-Gvir’s words have invited outcry, even from within his coalition. Soon-to-be prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter on Wednesday to say that “The IDF is the people’s army. I call on everyone, right and left, to leave it out of any political debate.”

Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid, meanwhile, said that “the new government hasn’t yet taken office and its ministers are already inciting IDF soldiers against their commanders.”

Israeli military investigation claims wrongdoing

The Israeli military released a report on Wednesday with the conclusions of its probe into the attack against a left-wing activist by an Israeli soldier in Hebron on Friday, which was caught on video and his since gone viral. The inquiry found a number of problems, including soldiers using improper judgment and acting violently, as well as a lack of a dedicated police force in the area.

The commander of the Judea Brigade, Yishai Rozolio, ordered soldiers to undergo “moral training” ahead of missions following the investigation.

A statement issued by the IDF Spokesman’s Unit said the soldier caught on video telling left-wing activists that “Ben-Gvir is going to bring order, you’ve had it,” was convicted in a disciplinary proceeding for a second time, after he filed an appeal. Nonetheless, his sentence remained unchanged, and he was sent to military prison for 10 days.

“The soldiers acted with poor judgment and not in the manner expected of them, with unnecessary physical and verbal violence,” the report says. It also noted that “the soldier’s decision to detain the civilian without approval from his commander was another mistake … The violent behavior toward the civilian was improper. A soldier must not express himself in an impassioned manner while expressing a political position.”

The soldier taped hitting the activist was initially suspended from his duties pending the investigation, and according to the report, the IDF will now reexamine how to handle his case.