Soldier steals from Palestinians 'because of Gilad Shalit'
Golani fighter steals NIS 100 from Palestinian house in Gaza, returns banknote several minutes later; explains, 'I wanted to buy pizza for my platoon'. Court gives him suspended sentence; prosecution appeals sentence
A Golani fighter who stole NIS 100 (about $27.4) from a Palestinian house in the Gaza Strip explained that he committed the offense "out of anger after seeing a picture of Gilad Shalit. I wanted to buy pizza for my platoon."
The Military Prosecution demanded that the soldier be sent to jail, but the court decided to give him a suspended sentence. The prosecution is now expected to appeal the sentence.
The incident took place in the southern Gaza Strip during an operational military activity.
"I went to search a house," the soldier from Golani's 51st battalion recounted. "We were looking for weapons. I searched through a cupboard, moved to the drawers, spotted a purse and took some money out of it."
Asked why he took the banknote, the soldier replied that he was angry after seeing a picture of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
He returned the money several minutes later, and even told his commander about the incident. "I deserve to be punished," he told the platoon commander.
The soldier also explained that he did not plan to keep the money, but rather to buy pizza for his friends "as a contribution to the platoon". The soldier was judged by the battalion commander, Lieutenant General David Zini, and sent to 20 days of incarceration.
'Important moral value violated'
The Military Prosecution did not settle for the punishment, and the soldier was put on criminal trial. The prosecutor told the court that the soldier "violated one of the most important moral values – the prohibition to take the enemy's property."
He demanded that the soldier be sent to three months in jail and be demoted from sergeant to private.
The soldier's defense attorney, Captain Rani Amar, claimed that the soldier had returned the money, expressed his regret over the act and should return to his platoon rather than go to jail.
The battalion commander also stood by his subordinate, describing the fighting in the Strip and how his soldiers had killed more than 60 terrorists. As for the incident itself, he noted that such mistakes could happen.
"I believe that the soldier already received a sufficient punishment," Lieutenant General Zini said.
The Military Court judges, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Erez Porat, decided to give the soldier a 3-month suspended sentence and to demote him to the rank of private. The court will discuss the prosecution's appeal against the sentence next month.
