A religious soldier from the Golani Brigade was removed from Lebanon on Shabbos for wearing a Moshiach patch on his uniform, Arutz Sheva reported.

The soldier is a member of Battalion 12 who serves in a specialized role countering explosive drones.

According to the report, the battalion’s outgoing commander noticed the patch during a Friday afternoon briefing and ordered him to remove it immediately.

The soldier complied on the spot and removed the patch. Nevertheless, several hours later, after Shabbos had begun, the army ordered him out of Lebanon.

His friends slammed the decision: “It’s absurd that during such an intense period of fighting, the army is busy dealing with things like this.”

A previous incident last month sparked outrage after IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered severe and unprecedented disciplinary action against an IDF soldier for wearing a “Moshiach” patch on his combat vest.

The soldier was punished with a 30-day military prison sentence, and his commanders were also severely disciplined. The soldier’s platoon commander was sentenced to a 14-day suspended prison term, and the battalion commander received a formal command reprimand added to his personal record.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)