Israeli army bans radical ‘Messiah’ sticker on uniforms

The Israeli military has banned soldiers from wearing non-military symbols on their uniforms after soldiers were seen sporting ultra-religious “Messiah” patches, months after international uproar over the tendency among some troops to wear ‘Greater Israel’ badges.

Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited a unit fighting in southern Lebanon last week and noticed some troops wearing the “Messiah” emblem on their arms, linked to a messianic Zionist ideology that advocates the reconstruction of the Third Temple and the radical Hilltop insignia. Group of young settlers.

The symbol of a crown with the word “Messiah” in Hebrew below comes from a specific branch of Chabad Orthodox Judaism, one of the largest Hasidic movements.

According to Israeli media reports, Halevi allegedly removed the religious symbol from the sleeve of a soldier’s uniform and placed it in his chest pocket, saying, “You can put it near the heart, but only military items are on the uniform.” .

At the start of the war in Gaza, there were dozens of accusations of serious misconduct among Israeli troops due to their uniforms.

In June, a photograph circulated online showing the uniform of an Israeli soldier carrying a piece of the map of “Greater Israel,” which included all of historic Palestine, along with pieces of present-day Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Sinai Desert in Egypt.

The concept of “Greater Israel” is defended by some far-right members of the Israeli government who support the annexation of more Arab lands, referring to a hard-line vision of the land of Israel that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River .

Halevi reportedly told troops that “only military insignia” were allowed on soldiers’ uniforms during last week’s operational visit, following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon’s border cities and widespread airstrikes across the country.

The report sparked protests from some Orthodox Jewish groups, including the Torat Lechima organization, which works with the army “to strengthen Jewish identity and fighting spirit in the IDF and defense community.”

According to Israel Channel 7 announcer Torat Lechima criticized Halevi for “playing” with the symbol because it was “unmilitary”.

Torat Lechima mocked the Israeli army spokesman for publishing an LGBT-friendly flag and suggesting it was “military.”

Tensions between the Orthodox community and the military have been high since the process for mandatory conscription of men from the ultra-religious Haredi community began in July.

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement was closely involved with the military during the war. Soldiers who follow the ideology have reportedly established a “center” in Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza.

The organization set up a prayer station, known as ‘tellefin’ in Hebrew, in Gaza in November, which was visited by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The ‘Messiah’ symbol denotes ‘Messianism’ in the Chabad-Lubavitch community, one of the largest Hasidic movements within Orthodox Judaism. The ultraconservative community believes that a Rabbi named Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who died in 1994, is the expected Messiah.

In January, videos were posted to YouTube by an account called Zman Haguela, a Massiah Orthodox news website, showing members of the community distributing badges and stickers to soldiers who served in the war.

In another video, the Messiah’s flag was tied to an Israeli army tank that appeared to have been sent to Gaza.