IDF Spokesperson's Unit pushes back after former soldier joins Breaking the Silence

Ayelet Kroizer, a former soldier in the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, is set to become the new spokesperson for Breaking the Silence, an organization that promotes war crimes charges against Israel. Kroizer accused her former unit of manipulating information. IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin responded, saying her remarks do not reflect the unit.

Ayelet Kroizer, a former soldier in the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, is set to become the new spokesperson for Breaking the Silence, an organization that promotes war crimes charges against Israel. Kroizer announced her upcoming role on Monday, accusing her former unit of manipulating information presented to the public and prioritizing the army's public image over transparency. She claimed that during her military service, she was exposed to how the IDF Spokesperson shapes perception of reality and plays a problematic game with the truth. Kroizer noted her history as a member of the haredi community, having forgone her service exemption to enlist during wartime. IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin responded with an urgent letter to unit commanders, stating that Kroizer's remarks do not reflect the people who serve in the unit, its values, or its professional and ethical worldview. He emphasized the unit's diversity and urged soldiers not to let the remarks shake their sense of purpose.