JERUSALEM (JTA) –The Israeli army’s chief education officer criticized soldiers for printing shirts featuring images of dead Palestinians.
In a letter titled "The boundaries of humor," Brig. Gen. Eli Shermeister reminded the soldiers that they represent the army both in and out of uniform, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported Wednesday.
The shirts, printed by some Israel Defense Forces’ military units to mark their graduations from training courses or a tour of duty, included images of dead babies, blown-up mosques or pregnant women in a soldier’s rifle sights. Ha’aretz published a report about the shirts two weeks ago that caused a hailstorm of criticism inside and outside Israel.
Shermeister went on to write that "printing shirts for IDF soldiers, even if not initiated by the commander, is not a private action. It is an action carried out in the context of military service and should match the values of the IDF."
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