Three Givati Brigade soldiers were sentenced to 21 days of confinement after arriving late to a memorial ceremony for a fallen comrade, with the delay caused by major road closures during a protest near Bnei Brak.

The incident, reported Thursday, triggered backlash from the soldiers’ families, who said the delay was not due to carelessness but was a direct result of heavy traffic disruptions tied to demonstrations earlier in the week.

The soldiers left the Rechovot area for Petach Tikvah about two hours before the scheduled memorial. However, they became stuck in severe traffic on Route 4 near the Geha interchange, where protesters had blocked central roads while demonstrating against the arrest of yeshiva students considered draft evaders. The congestion prevented them from reaching the cemetery in time for the start of the ceremony.

According to those familiar with the situation, the soldiers tried to update their commanders and the unit’s casualty officer in real time about the delays. Although they missed the formal ceremony, they later arrived for a meeting with the bereaved family and took part in the commemorative meal held in the fallen soldier’s memory.

Despite that, commanders decided to proceed with disciplinary action. The soldiers were tried by their company commander and ultimately given a 21-day confinement sentence.

Sources close to the soldiers voiced strong frustration, noting that the troops are close to completing their service. They said the soldiers showed their commander evidence of the road conditions to prove the delay was beyond their control, but the army chose to take a strict approach to emphasize the importance of honoring fallen soldiers and arriving on time for memorial events.

In response, the IDF said: “The IDF places great importance on honoring the memory of fallen soldiers and on the participation of commanders and troops in memorial ceremonies. The soldiers were released the day before in order to attend the memorial, along with clear instructions to ensure timely arrival. In practice, the soldiers chose to depart at a time that did not align with the instructions and did not meet the required schedule. It should be emphasized that other soldiers who were sent to the same memorial arrived on time. After reviewing the incident, disciplinary measures were taken in accordance with regulations. The IDF will not accept conduct that does not meet the expected standard, particularly when it involves honoring the memory of the fallen and their families.”