Earlier this week, a photo circulated online showing an Israeli soldier in the West Bank wearing velcro patches with inciting slogans, prompting the military to announce it was reviewing the soldier’s conduct.

The badges read “Stop the hatred, it is time for violence,” and “Hamas hunters.”

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces stressed that wearing non-military symbols on IDF uniforms is strictly prohibited, and said that the patch “does not represent the IDF or its values.”

“The IDF operates in accordance with the law, condemns violence of any kind, and views with severity any use of symbols that undermine the army’s statesmanlike character,” the military added.

Last year, the IDF announced a series of dramatic changes to its dress code for soldiers, including the banning of non-military patches, and stipulating that troops may only display insignia such as the Israeli flag, their name and their unit’s emblem.

Despite this measure, the IDF has faced mounting scrutiny in recent months over soldiers wearing unauthorized badges bearing religious, messianic and political messages — particularly in the West Bank — where unprecedented levels of attacks on Palestinians by settlers has drawn allegations that some troops have failed to intervene or, in certain cases, even assisted in attacks.

Other instances have emerged of soldiers photographed wearing non-military patches, including ones bearing the word “Messiah” and others depicting the Jewish Temple or a map of Greater Israel, which includes the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as Jordan, Lebanon, and parts of Syria, Egypt, and Iraq.

The phenomenon of soldiers displaying controversial phrases or imagery on their uniforms predates the current war, but has gained popularity among religious soldiers after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror onslaught.

According........

© The Times of Israel