The IDF announced on Sunday that a soldier who threw rocks at anti-judicial overhaul protesters on Saturday was sentenced to 30 days in military jail.
According to an IDF statement, the soldier threw rocks at the protesters from his post within IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv as they stood near the headquarters walls.
Reports regarding the soldier's conduct enabled locating him quickly. The soldier promptly admitted to the allegations, leading to a quick court martial and sentence.
Although the soldier's actions could have also led to a criminal proceeding, given the soldier's immediate confession, that the soldier was hit with a sentence similar to what the criminal proceeding might have led to and that the entire process occurred without needing to expend much in terms of resources, the IDF limited itself to disciplinary proceedings.
The IDF stated that it, "views the soldier's conduct with severity."
Soldier filmed throwing stones at protesters
The IDF soldier was seen throwing stones from within the Kirya military headquarters at anti-judicial reform protesters in Tel Aviv on Saturday in footage shared by Israeli media.
צהל חוקר ארוע חמור במסגרתו חייל צהל שסגר שבת בקרייה השליך אמש אבנים על המפגינים בקפלן מתוך בסיס הקרייה pic.twitter.com/VTHjRQwlm5
— Or Heller אור הלר (@OrHeller) July 2, 2023
The video showed an individual with his face covered and motioning at protesters making their way to Kaplan Street for a weekly protest against the government's planned changes to the judicial system. Protesters at the scene said that he threw stones at them and shouted unclear statements toward them.
"We were on our way to Kaplan on the route of Menachem Begin Street towards the main stage," said a couple who were attacked by the soldier to N12 news. "When we passed right under the Kirya base, a masked boy stood inside the compound and started throwing stones at us. A few minutes later, someone from the base came and called him with hand gestures then he left, also because he saw that we were taking pictures and went to report it to the police, one of whom also took pictures of what was happening."
"This is devious behavior, certainly when it comes to an IDF soldier or someone who is inside an IDF base. The feeling is not pleasant," said the couple.
"I admit that until this morning I did not understand the magnitude of the event, and in my opinion, in retrospect, it is because every time we go to demonstrations there is an expectation of harm, there is a knowledge that we will receive such and such reactions that are severe. That is why it was not surprising, and that is actually what is horrifying."