IDF Chief removes ultra-Orthodox battalion after controversial CNN footage
After the documented confrontation with the CNN team, Chief of Staff Zamir decided to immediately dismiss the entire ultra-Orthodox battalion that was stationed
The Israel Defense Forces has pulled an entire ultra-Orthodox reservist battalion from active duty after a widely shared incident involving a CNN crew in the northern West Bank.
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered the unit’s immediate removal from operational activity on Sunday night.
According to military sources cited by i24NEWS Hebrew, the battalion, made up largely of ultra-Orthodox soldiers, will be transferred to a training base for what the IDF described as a “renewed assessment of their capabilities.”
The IDF also dismissed the soldier seen in the footage and issued reprimands to several officers involved in the incident.
The controversy stems from a CNN report filmed near the village of Taysir in northern Samaria, where correspondent Jeremy Diamond and his crew were documenting an outpost established in memory of Yehuda Sherman, who was killed in a previous attack.
Footage from the scene shows IDF soldiers approaching the crew, pointing weapons at them, and ordering them to sit on the ground. Crew members can be heard identifying themselves as journalists, while Diamond stated on air: “The soldiers immediately arrived and pointed their weapons at us, asking everyone to sit down immediately. We are not a threat here.”
CNN also reported that one crew member was assaulted and that there were attempts to confiscate equipment—claims that have not been independently verified by Israeli authorities.
In the same footage, one soldier is heard making controversial remarks, including: “If you had a brother and they murdered him – what would you do?” He later added, “All of Judea and Samaria belong to us,” and suggested the outpost would eventually become a legal settlement.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the decision, voicing strong support for the soldiers.
“I stand behind the fighters,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement. “The dismissal of an entire battalion following a report in foreign media is a serious mistake that harms our fighters and the deterrence capability of the State of Israel.”