‘We appreciate their bravery throughout the war’: Support rally for Givati fighters

A support rally for the fighters of the Tzabar Battalion of the Givati Brigade will be held on Thursday at 18:00 outside Prison 10 at Beit Lid, in protest against the prison sentences and dismissal imposed on them. The organizers call on the public to come with flags and drums to express appreciation for the fighters' lengthy service in Gaza and Lebanon. The punishments were imposed following the protest incident at Sde Teiman, where the fighters abandoned the base as a protest against the violation of unit symbols ("pogim") by the command echelon. The commander of the Givati Brigade, Colonel Natanel Shmaka, sentenced 14 fighters from the battalion to 30 days in prison, and it was also decided to dismiss them from combat roles and transfer them from combat service. The fighters' parents sent a letter to senior IDF officials, in which they emphasize that one disciplinary incident should not erase years of sacrifice, injuries, and loss of friends on the battlefields of Gaza and Lebanon. According to them, the punishment, which includes dismissal from combat, constitutes a "mark of shame" that is not commensurate with their operational contribution.