Israel’s Bedouin Battalion Fights for Survival After Seven Months Without Leadership

Israel’s Defence Force is attempting a major overhaul of its troubled 585th Desert Patrol Battalion, which has spent the past seven months without a commander. The unit, one of the military’s most sensitive operational divisions, has been plagued by disciplinary problems and has faced allegations of involvement in smuggling operations to Gaza. The battalion’s reputation has reached a low point since the October 7th attack, prompting senior military leadership to intervene with a comprehensive rehabilitation programme.

The battalion has now begun intensive training exercises in the Negev desert under new leadership, marking its first large-scale operational deployment since the conflict began. The new commander, an officer with roots in the Israeli settlement of Giva’at, has been tasked with what military officials describe as rebuilding efforts that amount to reconstructing the unit from scratch. “After the ship sank, we came to rebuild it,” one military source said, reflecting the scale of the challenge ahead.

The rehabilitation programme combines combat training with psychological processing of the battalion’s war experiences. Officers are working to restore institutional trust and fundamentally shift the unit’s culture after months of decline. The battalion, which traditionally drew heavily from Israel’s Bedouin communities, holds strategic importance for Israel’s military operations in the Negev region. Its recovery is viewed by the Defence Force as essential both operationally and for maintaining public confidence in the military institution.

The involvement of battalion members in potential smuggling activities represents a serious breach of military discipline and has raised questions about command and oversight structures. Military investigators have been examining the extent of the problems and whether current reforms will prove sufficient to prevent future misconduct.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.