Force 100, Channel 14, Sde Teiman

Sde Teiman update: Released reservist  punished for giving interview, dismissed from service

IDF soldier faces dismissal after TV appearance to defend his unit's honor. Controversy erupts over military's swift action against reservist who denied misconduct allegations on air.

Masked Israeli special forces soldier (Photo by Gershon Elinson/FLASH90)

A reserve soldier from Force 100, who was previously arrested and released from Sde Teiman base, appeared on "The Patriots" TV show with Yinon Magal tonight. Shortly after, he received a message from his company commander informing him of his dismissal from reserve service, reportedly due to "appearing on broadcast in uniform with a covered face."

M., a reserve soldier from Force 100 who was arrested and released from Sde Teiman base, appeared last night (Wednesday) on Channel 12's uber popular "The Patriots" show.

Shortly after, he received a message from his company commander informing him of his dismissal from reserve service, as reported by Channel 14.

"Unfortunately, you are required to come and return your equipment tomorrow and be discharged," the soldier's commander wrote in a text message.

During the show, M. revealed for the first time the true details of the case in which he was arrested along with eight other soldiers following a complaint by a militant against them. He claimed that the case was fabricated and designed to tarnish the reputation of IDF soldiers.

"I'm ashamed and embarrassed to be here, but I had to," the soldier said, recounting how a woman on the street asked him if he had abused a militant. "We are IDF soldiers, we are not them. We are not rapists, no one should try to paint us as such," he stated firmly.

The reserve soldier strongly rejected the allegations spread against him and his unit members: "There's no chance in the world we raped anyone. We are family men and fathers. We left everything to deal with this filth, with these creatures who are not human," he said, adding that it was embarrassing to see the edited report compiled from various clips from different pens.

"The Patriots" host responded to the dismissal, writing: "The IDF embraced the leaders of the refuseniks who called on camera 'not to volunteer for reserve duty'. The soldier who came to defend the name of his comrades, whom the military system persecutes and defames before the whole world, is dismissed within five minutes. Something here is very rotten. Something here requires root treatment."

"The Patriots" panelist Yotam Zimri reacted to the publication on his X account: "A pilot who says in an interview on Friday Studio - if you don't stop, there's no attack on Iran - everything's fine. A soldier who says in an interview with The Patriots - I'm not a rapist - is dismissed. There's nothing to do, war or no war, second-class is second-class."

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