When a Boston-born soldier moved overseas to join the Israeli army, I’m pretty sure sharing his grandmother’s sandwiches was the last thing he thought he’d ever get punished for.

But because those sandwiches had ham in them, the soldier was sentenced to 11 days in military prison.

The soldier says he just wasn’t aware of the strict dietary restrictions.

It was only after an outcry that the Israel Defense Forces lessened his punishment:

After an Israel Radio reporter asked the IDF Spokespeson’s Unit to comment, however, it was decided that the soldier would not be sent to jail, but rather would not receive his upcoming weekend leave.

He was also kicked out of a class he was taking to become a squad commander.

That lesser sentence didn’t satisfy anybody, though, and the IDF eventually cancelled his punishment altogether, with one official even apologizing.

IDF Spokesman Gen. Moti Almoz wrote on his Facebook page that the military erred in the way it dealt with the situation, and noted that while the army would continue maintaining kosher bases, it would stop prying into the ingredients of soldiers’ sandwiches.

So when it comes to what’s inside your sandwiches, the Israeli army has a simple policy: Don’t ask, don’t tell. Because they take ham as seriously as Hamas.

I’ll see myself out the door…

(Image via ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com. Thanks to Brian for the link)



