These 4 Social Media Scandals Have Absolutely Embarassed the Israeli Military

Impact

All Jewish men and women are required to serve in the Israeli military for a few years after they turn 18. But what happens when you put a bunch of young adults on a military base together? Pretty much what happens on any college campus in the U.S.: hormones are going to rage.

This week, four new recruits to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) posted a picture on Facebook of themselves half-undressed in the middle of a military base.

This one picture created a massive outcry. Many, including the IDF itself, believe that such a picture caused much "damage" to the image of the Israeli army. But there are others who believe that images of the IDF army having fun serves as a good counterbalance to the image of Israel as a destructive, warring nation. Either way, the IDF issued a statement that assured the public that the recruits would be punished through "command channels." It doesn’t seem that that unspecified punishment changed anything, however. The same four girls uploaded three more half-naked pictures to Facebook.

For all the outrage it caused, you would think that this was the first time anything like this had happened to the IDF, but it’s not. Here are five other Israeli soldiers who have brought shame to the IDF through social media:

1. Posing in Only Their Helmets and Combat Vests

Said to have inspired the most recent scandal, this picture was uploaded to Facebook a year ago. The recruits identified were said to have been punished as well, though they never posted another picture.

2. Naked with a Gun

Apparently, posing naked is a favorite activity of Israeli soldiers. This one was one of a series of similar images, along with several anti-Palestinian Tweets. He was also reprimanded.

3. Dancing Around a Palestinian Girl

On a more serious note, this video depicts an Israeli solider dancing suggestively around a handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian girl. The Israeli military promised that it would take action against this clear abuse, but again, it remains unclear as to what was actually done in response.

4. Posing In Front of Palestinian Prisoners

This picture was one in a series that showed an Israeli guard posing in front of Palestinian prisoners, treating them as a pretty backdrop. It was part of an album entitled IDF — Best Years of My Life and sparked international outrage. However, because the pictures were uncovered after the soldier had finished serving in the military, the IDF claimed they could not take action.