Chareidi recruits serving in a designated track experienced a series of humiliations at the hands of their commanders, Channel 14 reported.

According to testimonies, the recruits were forced to undress as punishment and remain in their underwear only. The commanders involved later tried to hush up the incident.

The serious incidents occurred about two weeks ago after the recruits completed a seven-kilometer fitness run. The recruits said that the commanders claimed that they hadn’t performed the run properly and ordered them to undress and lie on their backs on their beds in the tent.

The Chareidi recruits said they felt deeply degraded.

The recruits said that another disturbing incident took place when one of the commanders entered the shul during Shacharis and demanded that some of the soldiers perform push-ups in the middle of davening.

Following the incidents, some of the recruits were summoned last week to a meeting with the base commander and an officer holding the rank of colonel, where they were told the command staff had been replaced and the commanders involved were suspended.

The IDF spokesperson said in response that the incident was immediately investigated and that the commander was disciplined by the head of the Personnel Directorate and suspended from his position.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)