IDF soldiers broadcast Jewish prayer in mosque, removed from duty

Two Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers who filmed themselves praying the ‘Shema Yisrael’ prayer over the public announcement system in a mosque in Jenin have been removed from active duty. The soldiers were part of IDF reserve forces conducting a military operation in Jenin at the time of the incident, which for some reason involved them going into a mosque. The video shows one of the men using the mosque’s public address system (which was connected to both internal and external speakers) to recite the Jewish prayer, while the other looks on in amusement. Later, the pair sang Hanukkah songs – again over the PA system. A video of the incident (because of course they filmed themselves doing it) circulated on social media and led to widespread condemnation and disciplinary action. A defense source told local media that it was an ‘independent action,’ and said that it ‘harms not only the IDF’s image, but also turns attention away from the operation’s important achievements.’