An Israeli soldier has been dismissed from the military for 'grave' misconduct.
He held a sign at his swearing-in ceremony saying his battalion would refuse orders to evacuate Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank.
The dismissal came after the soldier, who has yet to be named, refused to say he would not repeat the action.
This is the first dismissal of its kind, media reports said, though other soldiers are being disciplined.
The protest was held in October 2009 at the investiture of hundreds of soldiers at the Western Wall, one of Judaism's most important religious sites.
This soldier raised a sign with a political message and, in so doing, violated military orders
Col Gadi Agmon
IDF
Israel's pro-settlement soldiers worry leaders
A group of soldiers held similar banners at the event. As well as the dismissal, another soldier tried over the incident will be removed from combat service. Both soldiers were also sentenced to 30 days in military jail.
In a statement, Col Gadi Agmon, head of the Israel Defence Force's Recruitment Centre said: "This soldier raised a sign with a political message and, in so doing, violated military orders. As such, the head of the Recruitment Centre decided that the soldier would be released from IDF service due to his grave conduct."
Most Jewish Israeli men and women do military service and a growing number of religious Jewish soldiers are choosing to serve in Israel's combat units. Some religious soldiers join the military straight from centres for Jewish study, known as yeshivas.
Some of the soldiers are being encouraged by rabbis to protest against settlement evacuation, as they believe that the West Bank is part of the Holy Land and Jews are entitled to live there.
Last year's incident caused a political storm, with some saying the issues involved could divide the military. Some were concerned there would be a widespread movement of soldiers refusing to evacuate Jewish settlements.
The dissenting soldiers were nicknamed 'refuseniks' by the Israeli press, the same term used for the few Israeli soldiers who refuse to serve in the West Bank or Gaza because they oppose Israel's military occupation.
About half a million Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Their settlements are illegal under international law, which views the territory as occupied land.
Israel disputes this but its own law doesn't recognise some settlements, often referred to as outposts. Soldiers are sometimes called on to help dismantle them.
He held a sign at his swearing-in ceremony saying his battalion would refuse orders to evacuate Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank.
The dismissal came after the soldier, who has yet to be named, refused to say he would not repeat the action.
This is the first dismissal of its kind, media reports said, though other soldiers are being disciplined.
The protest was held in October 2009 at the investiture of hundreds of soldiers at the Western Wall, one of Judaism's most important religious sites.
This soldier raised a sign with a political message and, in so doing, violated military orders
Col Gadi Agmon
IDF
Israel's pro-settlement soldiers worry leaders
A group of soldiers held similar banners at the event. As well as the dismissal, another soldier tried over the incident will be removed from combat service. Both soldiers were also sentenced to 30 days in military jail.
In a statement, Col Gadi Agmon, head of the Israel Defence Force's Recruitment Centre said: "This soldier raised a sign with a political message and, in so doing, violated military orders. As such, the head of the Recruitment Centre decided that the soldier would be released from IDF service due to his grave conduct."
Most Jewish Israeli men and women do military service and a growing number of religious Jewish soldiers are choosing to serve in Israel's combat units. Some religious soldiers join the military straight from centres for Jewish study, known as yeshivas.
Some of the soldiers are being encouraged by rabbis to protest against settlement evacuation, as they believe that the West Bank is part of the Holy Land and Jews are entitled to live there.
Last year's incident caused a political storm, with some saying the issues involved could divide the military. Some were concerned there would be a widespread movement of soldiers refusing to evacuate Jewish settlements.
The dissenting soldiers were nicknamed 'refuseniks' by the Israeli press, the same term used for the few Israeli soldiers who refuse to serve in the West Bank or Gaza because they oppose Israel's military occupation.
About half a million Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Their settlements are illegal under international law, which views the territory as occupied land.
Israel disputes this but its own law doesn't recognise some settlements, often referred to as outposts. Soldiers are sometimes called on to help dismantle them.
Those settlers can be stubborn!
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