Exposing Israel’s Army: Testimonies of Sadism and Atrocities Committed by Soldiers
"I felt like, like, like a Nazi ... it looked exactly like we were actually the Nazis and they were the Jews", a soldier who suffered from mental consequences has reportedly said.
Gaza (Quds News Network)- A recent article published in Haaretz sheds light on the sadism of Israeli soldiers and the impact of government rhetoric on their behavior. The article, written by Professor Yoel Elizur, an Israeli psychologist with experience in military mental health, explores how Israeli soldiers, influenced by a toxic culture of hatred and revenge, committed war crimes in Gaza long time before October 7, 2023.
Soldiers, who were part of repressing the first Intifada, experience guilt, shame, depression, and suicidal thoughts, according to Elizur. The army’s Rear Rehabilitation Centers (RRCs) provide support, but many of the soldiers are discharged as unfit for duty due to the trauma they endure.
While Israel’s society views the Israeli army as a moral army, Elizur argues that atrocities committed by soldiers have been minimized or ignored. He highlights research conducted by Nuphar Ishay-Krien during the First Intifada, which identified several groups of soldiers based on their responses to violence and brutality. Some soldiers felt empowered by the power they held, seeing themselves as untouchable in Gaza, which encouraged their sadism. One soldier’s chilling account stated, “It’s like a drug … you feel like you are the law, you make the rules. As if from the moment you leave the place called Israel and enter the Gaza Strip, you are God.”
Elizur presents accounts from soldiers who engaged in pure sadism without remorse. One soldier described shooting an unarmed Palestinian in the back four times in cold blood. “X shot an Arab four times in the back and got away with a self-defense claim. Four bullets in the back from a distance of ten meters … cold-blooded murder. We did things like that every day.”
Another soldier recounted a horrific instance of a soldier kicking a woman in the groin, leaving her unable to have children. “I have no problem with women. One threw a slipper at me, so I gave her a kick here (pointing to the groin), broke all this here. She can’t have children today.”
“An Arab just walked down the street, about 25 years old, didn’t throw a stone, nothing. Bang, a bullet in the stomach. Shot him in the stomach, and he was dying on the sidewalk, and we drove away indifferently”, another soldier said.
These soldiers, according to Elizur, viewed violence as a sign of masculinity and strength. “I felt like, like, like a Nazi … it looked exactly like we were actually the Nazis and they were the Jews”, a soldier who suffered from mental consequences has reportedly said.
“A new commander came to us. We went out with him on the first patrol at six in the morning. He stops. There’s not a soul in the streets, just a little 4-year-old boy playing in the sand in his yard. The commander suddenly starts running, grabs the boy, and breaks his arm at the elbow and his leg here. Stepped on his stomach three times and left. We all stood there with our mouths open. Looking at him in shock … I asked the commander: “What’s your story?” He told me: These kids need to be killed from the day they are born. When a commander does that, it becomes legit”, a soldier stated.
Elizur also revealed that soldiers who opposed brutality and reported crimes to their superiors
were marginalized. This is particularly evident in the current Gaza genocide, where soldiers continue to commit atrocities, including the shooting of civilians and the abuse of detainees. Reports of these crimes, such as those from the Sde Teiman detention facility, highlight the normalization of violence and dehumanization in the military.
The social pressure to conform and engage in violence and sadism has taken its toll on many soldiers. One female reservist described how witnessing the abuse of detainees left her feeling numb, while another soldier remarked on the disturbing ease with which soldiers detached themselves from the humanity of their victims.
As evidence of war crimes continues to mount, including shooting civilians with white flags and abusing prisoners, Elizur’s article is a powerful reminder of the moral injuries that go hand in hand with violence and the need for accountability in the IDF.
