Mob storms IDF base in Israel, echoing January 6 Capitol attack amid controversy - comment

On January 6, 2021, an incited mob overran security and stormed the US capitol in an attempt to stop the process to appoint the next president. The mob attacked members of the media. Some bore merchandise associated with the MAGA movement or with Donald Trump. Hours into the event, Trump broke his silence and issued a tepid call for the mob to desist.

On July 29, 2024, an incited mob overran security and stormed an IDF base in the South, in an attempt to stop a legal process to investigate alleged crimes. The mob attacked a member of the media. At least one man wore a blue "Total Victory" cap associated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hours into the event, Netanyahu broke his silence and issued a tepid call for the mob to desist.

The events that took place at the Sde Teiman base in southern Israel on Monday were disastrous.

Sde Teiman has become a symbol of the war. Suspected Hamas operatives have been held at a compound at the base since the October 7 massacre. Their status is "illegal combatants," and they are not given a right of attorney. They are eventually either returned to Gaza or moved to an Israel Prison Service prison facility. The compound has been guarded by military police and IDF reservists.

Demanding death penalty

A civil organization appealed to the High Court of Justice over the conditions at Sde Teiman, and the IDF and Shin Bet were forced to release some prisoners due to lack of space in Israeli jails.

Elements on the right and far-right have demanded the death penalty for those interred at Sde Teiman, and have opposed judicial oversight of the conditions at the site. On the other hand, human rights organizations reported that some of those interred at the site had been tortured.

The issue blew up on Monday. Masked military police officials raided the compound after a prisoner was hospitalized with a severe rectal injury which officials suspected were a result of torture or sodomy. The reservists in question opposed the arrests and quickly posted videos on social media. Other troops in their unit, who had not been arrested, reportedly handed in their weapons and refused to continue their service.

Politicians from the coalition, including ministers and Knesset members, reacted with severe criticism of the IDF, and a number of them announced that they were heading to the site. Channel 12 reporter Ori Izak was attacked. An MK evaded security and ducked into the base, and a mob followed soon after. At least one other MK entered the base as well. The mob eventually exited the base after realizing that the reservists were not being held there, and continued to protest outside its gates.

Five people died on January 6, but, thankfully, none did on July 29. January 6 was a direct attack on the transition of power, while July 29 was "merely" an attempt to disrupt an investigation. But the similarities are hard to ignore, the most notable being the frenzied crowd, its push to get through the gates, and then its anarchic jubilation after succeeding.

The mob on January 6 ultimately failed and did not block the transition of power, and the events of July 29 hopefully will not affect the investigation. But the aftershocks of January 6th were felt months and years afterwards, and the reverberations from Monday's events may be felt in the foreseeable future as well.

First, the pressure on reservists since October 7 has been immense, and the fact that reservists handed in their guns could lead to further refusals to serve on all sides of the political divide. 

Second, Israel must investigate human rights abuses in order to avoid international sanctions, and a mob cannot and should not be able to stop investigations. Even the attempt to stop the investigations and support of a number of government ministers could have international implications.

Third, ministers and MKs are aiming their criticism at Israel's beleaguered judicial system for approving the arrests. The judicial system is the only effective check on government power, and the criticism brings to mind the attempts to weaken it as part of the judicial reform in 2023.

And fourth, and perhaps most importantly, Israel cannot become a place that accepts and encourages brutal torture. Israel's strategic strength stems in part from its moral high ground and democratic norms. If we replace these with the unchecked primal urge for revenge, we would be no better than our enemies. At the most fundamental level, this would indicate victory for Hamas.