IDF removes reserve commander from command after prayer with extremists
The Israel Defense Forces removed from command the commander of a reserve unit who was filmed praying alongside soldiers with Jewish extremists in the Palestinian village of Qusra in the West Bank. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post.
According to the publication, some of these extremists attacked Palestinians and laid siege to civilian residents of Qusra. The commander’s unit was supposed to help prevent attacks on Palestinians and ultimately remove the extremists from the area.
The video of the prayer was recorded on August 10 amid events that Palestinians described as a siege of the village. According to them, it began on August 9; after its first days, the IDF increased protection for Palestinian residents, although individual residents said that some elements of the siege continued afterward.
Military decision
In an IDF statement, the commander’s conduct was described as contrary to the expectations placed on him and the instructions he had received. He was specifically ordered to avoid any actions that could be interpreted as identification with Jewish extremists or support for their illegal actions.
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The servicemen who prayed with the extremists were not punished. The IDF explained that they believed their actions constituted the execution of the commander’s lawful orders. A military source told the publication that the reservist would be able to continue serving if he wished, but not in a command position.
Events in Qusra and troop reinforcement
Later, other IDF units were deployed several times to dismantle the illegal outpost near which the soldiers’ prayer with the extremists was recorded. The outpost was eventually dismantled, but Palestinians claim that the extremists continue returning to the area. Last weekend, some of them temporarily occupied one of the houses in the village, from which they were later forced to leave.
The Jerusalem Post also reported that some extremists beat and attacked international media representatives covering the events. The faces of many participants were recorded on video, but the publication noted that they were probably not detained.
IDF Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir announced an expansion of the troop deployment to maintain public order in Judea and Samaria ahead of the autumn Jewish holidays. According to The Jerusalem Post, the number of forces is expected to be more than double the level before October 7, when there were about 11 battalions in the area. Zamir warned the government that violence by Jewish extremists had spiraled out of control and announced the deployment of the Golani and Paratroopers brigades to reinforce forces in the area.
