A number of Arab Bedouin soldiers were involved in a brawl inside Givati Infantry Brigade’s training base, resulting in the injury of 21 Israeli soldiers.
Eyewitnesses said that a miracle prevented deaths among the soldiers because some used their weapons and fired extensively in the air.
Media sources in Tel Aviv revealed that the incident occurred Sunday at the Givati base near the border with Egypt's Sinai, and started between individual soldiers, then became a scuffle involving two entire divisions.
The tussle broke out between soldiers from the Bedouin 585th reconnaissance unit and the Shaked Battalion’s training company. Officers from both units were involved.
The parties exchanged insults, then attacked each other with batons and rocks, and threatened to use live ammunition. Some soldiers even fired bullets in the air.
The sources indicated that the fight continued for a long time before the commander of the training unit arrived at the scene and broke it up, which resulted in injury to some of the commanding officers.
Medical sources indicated that seven of the injured were taken for treatment at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, while 14 others received field treatment at the base.
All the participants in the quarrel were Arab Bedouins who voluntarily serve in the Israeli army, aiming to earn a living and secure a job, according to reports.
The military issued a statement on the incident, asserting it will punish soldiers involved in the fight, as well as their commanders.
It explained that the incident is “irregular and severe, which does not reflect the Israeli forces’ values or the behavior expected of its soldiers.”
Meanwhile, a reserve officer said that several violent incidents had erupted in military bases in recent years. He noted that these cases are not limited to Bedouin soldiers but include Jewish ones as well.
