Watan-At a time when Israel was under Iranian missile fire, several soldiers in the Israeli army’s air defense system were reportedly preoccupied with committing obscene acts against fellow soldiers. The Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Wednesday that military police investigators arrested seven active-duty soldiers from the “Arrow” (Hetz) air defense system, Unit 136, on Tuesday. They are suspected of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse—including rape—against their comrades.
The alleged acts occurred over several weeks under the guise of “military seniority games” or “rank-based pranks,” where older soldiers exert power over new recruits under the pretense of jokes or unofficial initiation rituals. These may start with harmless orders or tasks but can escalate into humiliation, physical violence, psychological torment, and in severe cases, sexual assault. In this instance, rape is reportedly among the accusations.
The soldiers were brought before the military court at Beit Lid base today as the military prosecution requested an extension of their detention. During the hearing, one of the suspects’ fathers protested emotionally: “They are Israel’s heroes. They shouldn’t be going through this. You’re destroying their future.”
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from a soldier, which uncovered a disturbing pattern of abuse in the unit. Authorities are now examining whether these acts occurred during the Israeli attack on Iran—a period when the Arrow unit played a vital role in intercepting Iranian missiles, and soldiers were expected to be fully focused and alert.
Due to the severity of the case, Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar is personally overseeing the matter. An IDF spokesperson stated:”This is a serious incident. The Air Force Commander and senior leaders are reviewing its details in coordination with military police investigators.”
The IDF also commented:”In recent days, the Military Police launched an investigation into serious suspicions regarding acts carried out by veteran soldiers against new recruits in one of the Air Force units. The investigation is still in early stages, and we cannot comment yet on specific procedures taken. The IDF takes all violent acts seriously and has a zero-tolerance policy toward such practices and others like them.”
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