Halutz promotes disgraced officer

Lt. Col. A., former battalion commander in Givati Brigade, received rebuke for involvement in death of 15-year-old Palestinian in Gaza; Halutz makes him reservist brigade commander
By Hanan Greenberg

TEL AVIV - A Lieutenant Colonel and former battalion commander who was disciplined for involvement in the death of a Palestinian youth during a march in Gaza was promoted to rank of colonel on Sunday.

The IDF officer's name cannot be used for security considerations.IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz also gave the officer command of a reservist infantry brigade.

In 2004, Ynet revealed that the Lt. Col., then a battalion commander in the Givati Brigade, was leading a march of recruits in southern Gaza. The route passed through a dangerous area, so the officer, without approval, placed armored cars on each side of the trail to fire warning shots.

By the time the march ended at the settlement of Morag, and the soldiers were awarded their battalion pins, a 15-year-old Palestinian had been found shot to death in a nearby field.

Khaled Suleiman Muhammed Madi had been killed by one of the warning shots.

Investigation and trial

A military police investigation was opened and carried on for two months until the chief prosecutor in the Southern Command decided to bring the officer up only on disciplinary charges.

Chief Infantry Officer Brig. Gen. Yossi Heiman removed the officer from his post, while noting that thousands of rounds had been fired in what was not supposed to be a military operation.

The disciplinary court left the decision of future promotions to the Chief of Staff, who nevertheless decided to promote the officer, despite the severe rebuke in his record.