The punishment for the officer who removed the pride flag - a command comment only

In June, the officer, who was dressed in uniform, was recorded removing the flag that was raised at the Zemach intersection together with another citizen.

The IDF promised to investigate, but contented itself with a command comment only. The head of the Levala Council: "The IDF's lax response to a disappointing and shameful affair"

Eli Ashkenazi

01/08/2022

Monday, August 1, 2022, 12:05 p.m. Updated: 3:17 p.m.

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In the video: an IDF officer in uniform, taking down a pride flag that was hung by the Jordan Valley Regional Council on the occasion of Pride Month (use according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law)

The IDF officer, who along with a civilian removed the pride flag that was hoisted at the Tzemach intersection, was punished with a command comment only - according to Walla!'s investigation. The head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, Idan Greenbaum, said that "the IDF's lax response to the affair is disappointing and shameful."

In June it was published in Vala!

Documentation of an officer in IDF uniform and a civilian taking down a pride flag that was hung in the square at the Tzemach intersection two hours earlier by the head of the council, Greenbaum, Vinon Arab - the coordinator of the gay community in the council, to mark the events of Pride month, as the council has been doing for the past four years.

Shortly after The flag was torn off by an unknown person and re-raised, and then the council worker noticed the flag being damaged again. This time it was an officer and a citizen who uprooted the pole on which the flag was raised and tore the flag from it. He asked them to return the pole and the flag to him, but the two ignored his appeals and left the place.

The citizen who was complicit in the act was not questioned by the police.

The IDF stated after the incident that "the behavior of the officer in the video does not reflect the values ​​of the IDF" and pledged that the issue "will be investigated and dealt with".

The IDF said that his behavior "does not reflect the values ​​of the IDF".

The officer and the citizen with the flag in their hands, June (photo: official website, use according to Article 27 A of the Copyright Law)

Following Walla!'s request, the IDF spokesperson responded today: "On June 23, a video was released in which an IDF officer was seen next to a man holding a pride flag which was apparently removed from its place. The officer's behavior in the video does not reflect the values ​​of the IDF.

Following the incident, a command investigation was carried out, the officer was tried and the matter was dealt with disciplinaryly in the unit." The army's response raises doubts about the removal of the flag by the two men who were photographed walking with it in their hands.

"When the complaint was filed, I publicly demanded from the IDF to exhaust the investigation with the soldier whose face was visible," he said The head of the council for Walla!.

These are actions that contradict in any way the path of the Jordan Valley Regional Council headed by me and the path of the residents of the valley.

Unfortunately, the IDF's lax response to the affair is disappointing and shameful. It is very unfortunate that this is the response to a thuggish act by someone who wears the uniform of the Israel Defense Forces. Today it is about tearing down the pride flag and tomorrow another officer will take the liberty to harm anything else in the area for whatever reason.

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"Disappointed that the IDF gave an opening and legitimacy for harming people like me".

Yanon Arab, who demanded after the incident that the officer be dismissed from the ranks of the IDF, expressed his disappointment in the way the army handled it. The hatred of none other than an IDF officer," said Lavala!.

"To Tommy, I thought that part of the values ​​of the IDF, and even more so the values ​​of every officer in the IDF, are equality and seeing the other and not humiliating him and damaging his property."

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