Ayelet Kroizer, a former soldier in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, is set to become the new spokesperson for Breaking the Silence, an organization active in promoting “war crimes” charges against Israel internationally.
In an X/Twitter post on Monday, Kroizer announced her upcoming role. She accused her former unit of manipulating information presented to the public and prioritizing the army’s public image over transparency.
During her military service, Kroizer said, she had been exposed to “how vast the control of the IDF Spokesperson has in shaping our perception of reality, and the problematic game it plays with the truth.”
“The goal of the work with the international audience was defined as strengthening and expanding legitimacy for military actions,” she wrote. “Here, too, the price was the truth.”
Kroizer cited her history as a member of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community, having forgone her service exemption to enlist in the IDF during wartime.
IDF Spokesperson: Kroizer's remarks 'do not reflect' those who serve in unit
In response to Kroizer’s announcement, IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin said: “I want to be clear. These remarks do not reflect the people who serve in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the values of the unit, or our professional and ethical worldview.”
The unit comprises “individuals from all walks of Israeli society,” with the soldiers sharing a “common ethical and professional compass,” he wrote in a letter to the unit’s commanders, which he asked be shared with their soldiers.
“This diversity is a source of our strength,” he added. “Do not let these remarks shake you or diminish your sense of purpose.”