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The 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion (, ), previously known as Nahal Haredi () is a
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
in the
Kfir Brigade The 900th "Kfir" Brigade (, ''lit.'' "Lion Cub Brigade"), is the youngest and largest infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces. It is subordinate to the 99th "Flash" Infantry Division (''Reserve'') of Israel's Central Regional Command. T ...
of the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
. The purpose of the unit is to allow Haredi Jewish men to serve as combat soldiers in the Israeli military by creating an atmosphere conducive to their religious convictions in the strict observance of ''
Halakha ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Torah, Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is ...
''. The battalion has been accused of human rights violations against Palestinians, including killing unarmed civilians, killing suspects in custody, and torture. Despite the original purpose of the battalion being to accommodate Haredim who wish to serve in the military, the majority of the unit (60%) is drawn from Dati Leumi (Religious Zionist) community, specifically those as part of the
Hardal Hardal (also spelled Chardal; , acronym for , , plural ) usually refers to the portion of the Religious Zionist Jewish community in Israel which inclines significantly toward Haredi ideology (in terms of outlook on the secular world, or in their ...
sub-group. Though the Hardalim and Haredim share some similarities, the two remain distinct communities, and are both
halakhic ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments (''mitzv ...
and
ideological An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...
opposites on many important issues, most importantly
Zionism Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
. Many Haredi leaders publicly denounced the creation of the battalion, particularly Rabbi Aharon Shteinman, who disowned the unit entirely. Since the unit's creation, it has attracted many members of an extreme Hardal settler group called the
Hilltop Youth Hilltop Youth (, ''No'ar HaGva'ot'') are extremist Hardal Israeli settlements, settler youth operating in the Israeli-occupied territories, Israeli-occupied West Bank. They are known for establishing Israeli outpost, outposts without an Israeli ...
who are infamous for establishing illegal outposts on Palestinian land that have no legal basis in Israeli law. In recent years, the Netzah Yehuda battalion has experienced at least a half-dozen controversial cases involving its soldiers, resulting in jail time, discharge, or harsh criticism for assaulting or killing innocent Palestinians. In December 2022, Netzah Yehuda was removed by the IDF from its traditional posting in the West Bank to a border posting in the
Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...
where the unit would be less exposed to Palestinians.


Structure

The battalion was founded in 1999, and originally contained only 30 soldiers. As of 2009, the battalion had grown to over 1,000 soldiers, and has reached the status of a fully functioning battalion. The battalion recently marked its 20th draft. The battalion runs like other combat units in the IDF, with five months of basic training, followed by an additional six months of advanced training. Today, at any given time, the battalion holds close to 1,000 soldiers, including two full companies in training, one company commencing active service, and two operation units: Palchod (Recon/ First Company) and Mesaiat (Rifleman Company). A third operational unit, Mivtzayit, was created in October 2009, due to the large number of soldiers joining the battalion in the most recent drafts. In the past, there was a small special forces platoon (Machsar) composed of soldiers from the battalion, but this was disbanded shortly after Lt. Colonel Dror Shpigel became commander of the battalion. A volunteer all-Haredi computer unit has also been created within the
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...
. This, and the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, are seen as models for the possible future incorporation of Haredi conscripts into the IDF, should the present draft exemption for the ultra-Orthodox community be lifted. The ban was lifted by a ruling of the Israel's supreme court in 2024. Among the men who have served in the unit is Sergeant Almog Shiloni.


Religious accommodations

The battalion's motto is "V'haya Machanecha Kadosh", "And Your ilitarycamp shall be holy",
''Devarim'' 23:15
= ), a phrase taken from the
Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...
describing the importance of keeping a Jewish military camp free of sin or ritually unclean objects in exchange for divine assistance in battle. As the battalion places great emphasis on accommodating the religious needs of the soldiers, the Netzah Yehuda bases follow the most rigorous standards of
Jewish dietary laws (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashkena ...
, and the only women permitted on these bases are wives of soldiers and officers, so that there would not be any interaction considered inappropriate according to Jewish religious law between men and women. As the battalion runs on a voluntary basis and does not draft soldiers, it is one of the few units in the IDF which depends on community recruitment mechanisms for new intakes. It actively recruits soldiers from ultra-Orthodox or ''
Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...
'',
Religious Zionist Religious Zionism () is a religious denomination that views Zionism as a fundamental component of Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' (), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the fi ...
or ''Dati Leumi'', and the in-between '' Chardal'' families; there are also volunteers from overseas.


History


Deployment in the West Bank

Founded in 1999, the battalion started off as a result of 18 months of discussions between a group of Haredi educators, led by Rabbi Yitzhak Bar-Chaim from Netzah Yehuda organization and the IDF, with just 30 soldiers in total. The battalion had its first casualty on August 19, 2006, when a member of the
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () are a Fatah-aligned coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Created in 2000 amidst the Second Intifada, the Brigades previously operated as the official armed wing of the F ...
shot and killed
Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...
Roi Farjoun of
Yehud Yehud may refer to: * Yehud, the Levantine province of the Neo-Babylonian Empire * Yehud Medinata, the Levantine province of the Achaemenid Persian Empire * Yehud, the modern-day Israeli city See also *Yahud (disambiguation) *Yehudi (disambiguatio ...
at the Beka'ot Checkpoint east of
Nablus Nablus ( ; , ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 156,906. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a ...
. A nearby Netzah Yehuda soldier then opened fire, and killed the attacker. Soldiers from the battalion have been accused of a series of abuses. In 2015 a combat soldier from Battalion was jailed for 9 months under aggravated circumstances, after he was convicted of having electrocuted Palestinian suspects on two separate occasions, including arresting a Palestinian suspect near the West Bank city of Jenin, blindfolding, handcuffing, beating and the attaching electrodes to the man’s neck and electrocuting him. Four other soldiers involved in similar incidents were also indicted. In 2016, a military court sentenced an Israeli soldier from the Battalion to seven months in jail for allegedly beating detained Palestinians, arising when he beat Palestinians while they were under arrest at the battalion’s base several months prior. In 2021, Israeli Military Police arrested four soldiers from the battalion on suspicion of beating and sexually assaulting a Palestinian suspect, after a military doctor examined him as part of the arrest procedure and found signs of violence on his body, leading to the investigation. The Palestinian detainee was held by troops in the back of a military vehicle after his arrest in the West Bank, and was allegedly beaten en-route to an army base. In 2022, soldiers from the battalion arrested Omar Assad, a 78-year old
Palestinian American Palestinian Americans () are Americans who are of full or partial Palestinian descent. There are around 160,000 Palestinian American refugees according to the 2023 American Community Survey, making up around 0.05% of the U.S. population. Th ...
man. According to his autopsy itation needed Assad was beaten, leading to a heart attack. The soldiers responsible were not prosecuted, but the battalion was redeployed away from the West Bank. Until early December 2022, Netzah Yehuda was the only unit in the IDF which had been continuously stationed in the
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
, initially in the Jordan Valley, and then the areas surrounding
Jenin Jenin ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and is the capital of the Jenin Governorate. It is a hub for the surrounding towns. Jenin came under Israeli occupied territories, Israeli occupation in 1967, and was put under the administra ...
,
Tulkarm Tulkarm or Tulkarem (, ''Ṭūlkarm'') is a Palestinians, Palestinian city in the West Bank, the capital of the Tulkarm Governorate of the State of Palestine. The Israeli city of Netanya is to the west, and the Palestinian territories, Palestinia ...
, and
Ramallah Ramallah ( , ; ) is a Palestinians, Palestinian city in the central West Bank, that serves as the administrative capital of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the Judaean Mountains, north of Jerusalem, at an average elevation of abov ...
since the early 2000s, as all other units are frequently rotated between different areas. The US State Department asked its embassy in Israel to produce a report on the battalion following allegations of abuse of Palestinians and the battalion involvement in the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American Omar Assad in January 2022. Following this incident the Israeli military said it would temporarily move the unit from the West Bank to the Golan Heights. The IDF said the decision "was made out of a desire to diversify their operational deployment in multiple areas, in addition to accumulating more operational experience" and was unrelated to the death of As'ad.


Redeployment to the Golan Heights

In late December 2022, the unit was transferred from the IDF Central Command to the Northern Command in preparation for an 11-month deployment in the Golan Heights. The various battalion positions operated, as before, under the arrangements of Haredi practice.


2023–24 Gaza war

Starting from October 7, 2023, in the wake of the Hamas-led attack, soldiers of the Netzah Yehuda battalion participated in the defense of the Gaza border communities and the ensuing Gaza war. They have taken part in combat in the areas of Khan Yunis, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and other various locations around the strip. An investigation by
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
in July 2024 found members of Netzah Yehuda were training Israeli ground troops and running Gaza operations.


Leahy Law sanction

In April 2024, ''Axios'' reported that the US government plans to sanction the unit under the
Leahy Law The Leahy Laws or Leahy amendments are U.S. human rights laws that prohibit the U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity. It is na ...
for human rights violations in the West Bank. The ban will prevent the battalion or any members of the battalion from receiving US aid or military training after an investigation by a State Department panel investigated and found sustained human rights violation by members of the battalion. Israeli leaders including
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...
,
Yoav Gallant Yoav Gallant (; born 8 November 1958) is an Israeli politician and former military officer who served as Ministry of Defense (Israel), minister of defense between 2022 and 2024. Gallant was an officer in the Southern Command (Israel), Southern ...
, and
Benny Gantz Benjamin Gantz ( ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general. He served as a Minister without portfolio#Israel, minister without portfolio from 2023 to 2024, as the Ministry of Defense (Israel), minister of defense bet ...
criticized these sanction plans on the grounds that the Israeli justice system independently and adequately responded to the reported human rights violations.
Israeli Labor Party The Israeli Labor Party (), commonly known in Israel as HaAvoda (), was a Social democracy, social democratic political party in Israel. The party was established in 1968 by a merger of Mapai, Ahdut HaAvoda and Rafi (political party), Rafi. Unt ...
leader Merav Michaeli called for dismantling the battalion, saying it is killing Palestinians "for no real reason." On April 24, it was reported that the US might not impose the sanctions, with conflicting reports emerging.US will not impose sanctions on Netzah Yehuda Battalion – report
/ref>


See also

* Hasmonean Brigade * Shlav Bet * Haredi Military Administration * Chardal *
Hesder Hesder ( "arrangement"; also Yeshivat Hesder ) is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework. The program allows Orthodox J ...


References


External links


Nahal Haredi Official website
{{Israel Defense Forces Battalions of Israel Haredi Judaism in Israel Chardal Military units and formations established in 1999 1999 establishments in Israel