Syllabus

GS 2: International Relations

Context:

Recently, four Israeli soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion were killed during a military operation.

About Netzah Yehuda batallion

• The Netzah Yehuda Battalion is made up of ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jewish soldiers. 
• The battalion was created to accommodate the strict religious practices of the ultra-Orthodox community, such as avoiding interaction with women, who also serve in the Israeli military.
• Netzah Yehuda is part of the Kfir Brigade, the largest infantry unit in the Israel Defense Forces. 
• Most of its recruits come from underprivileged backgrounds or are settlers raised in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
• The motto of the battalion is “And your camp must be holy,” a line from the Torah which comprises the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
• Carlo Aldrovandi, an assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, wrote in The Conversation that members of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion take their motto literally, believing they are on a “holy mission.” 
• He noted that this belief fosters a culture that encourages unrestrained violence against non-Jewish populations.

Shift in Reputation

• Over the years, the battalion has faced numerous accusations of human rights violations, including abuse, killings, shootings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinian civilians. 
• In January 2022, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man died after being detained by Netzah Yehuda soldiers in the occupied West Bank. 
• An autopsy revealed he suffered a heart attack after being left tied up and gagged by the soldiers.
• In April 2024, an opinion piece in Haaretz described it as "a kind of independent militia that doesn’t follow the army’s rules."

Role of Battalion in GAZA

• The Netzah Yehuda Battalion has been actively involved in combat operations across Gaza since October 7, 2023. 
• In July 2024, a CNN investigation revealed that former commanders of the battalion had been promoted to senior roles within the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) where they were overseeing ground troop training and military operations in Gaza.
• A whistleblower told CNN that the battalion's soldiers were given “carte blanche” in Gaza, allowing them to act with little oversight. 
• He also claimed that soldiers received two weeks of leave as a reward for killing a "terrorist," calling it an attractive incentive for those spending extended time in service.
• In April 2024, the United States attempted to impose sanctions on members of the battalion for alleged abuses in the West Bank but the sanctions were ultimately not implemented.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/israel-netzah-yehuda-batallion-10117845/