Chareidi ex-IDF spokeswoman joins Breaking the Silence

Ayelet Kreuzer, who grew up in the chareidi community and enlisted in the IDF during the war after canceling her service exemption, has announced her appointment as spokeswoman for Breaking the Silence.

The move from a position in the army's public affairs apparatus to an organization identified with sharp criticism of IDF operations has sparked a storm on social media.

In a post she published, Kreuzer described the path she has traveled since leaving the chareidi community and deciding to enlist about three years ago. According to her, she enlisted out of a desire to take part in defending the state, but during her service she changed her position as a result of what she was exposed to.

Kreuzer's controversial post (Screenshot)

Among other things, she claimed that during her service she was engaged in adjusting details in military announcements for media and consciousness purposes. She even wrote that "I played with the details that go out to the media," adding that this was part of her service routine.

Kreuzer further claimed she was exposed to cases in which the term "terrorist" was applied even to Palestinians who, according to her, were not involved in terror activity, and that the messages conveyed to the public were adapted to different target audiences.

Now, after her discharge from the IDF, she is joining Breaking the Silence, which works to publish testimonies of soldiers about IDF activity in Judea and Samaria and in the Gaza Strip. In her new role she will be responsible for public relations and conveying the organization's messages to the media.

The announcement of the appointment drew sharp reactions, especially in light of the direct move from the IDF's public affairs apparatus to an organization that devotes a central part of its activity to criticism of the army.

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen wrote: "Shocking. But gives us a clear picture of how much sickness there is in the systems and to what depths you have penetrated."

The Netzach Yehuda organization also criticized the move.

Journalist Avishai Grinzaig wrote on X: "I respect Ayelet Kreuzer's right to make a living. But who is she working for? She served as a junior soldier in the ridiculous department called 'economic media' in the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. Her claim that her service routine was to define uninvolved people as terrorists or in the results of strikes in Gaza is a blatant lie, a delusional cry. At most she did manipulations to the economic media regarding the dispute over the Chief of Staff's bonuses. What Gaza and what shoes."

The story has already crossed Israel's borders and reached the Arab and international media as well: the Turkish news agency Anadolu published an extensive article about her, under the headline "Israeli army distorted the truth about Gaza, claims former employee in IDF Spokesperson's Unit." In the article, published on November 3, Kreuzer's claims about manipulations in information passed to the media and about presenting innocent Palestinians as "terrorists" were presented.