Fares. Awaiting decision on his future in military
Photo: Tal Shachar
Ashkenazi. Might dismiss Fares
Photo: Gil Yohanan
_a.jpg "צילום: ירון ברנר")
Gantz. Issues slap on wrist
Photo: Yaron Brener
Fares receives slap on wrist over wife's driving offense
Senior IDF commander who failed to report wife's traffic accident in military vehicle receives light punishment in disciplinary hearing. However, chief of staff will take 'befitting command move,' could eject him from military
Former commander of the Galilee Division, Brigadier-General Imad Fares, was convicted Sunday on two offenses as part of a disciplinary action before Deputy Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. He got off with light punishments – a warning and a reprimand.
Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi will decide in the coming days about his future in the military.
Mistakes
Saleh Tarif
Saleh Tarif urges us not to forget disgraced officer’s immense contribution to state
Fares was put on a disciplinary trial after he allowed his wife to drive a military-issue vehicle, and failed to report a minor accident she was in as protocol dictates. Two weeks ago, he refused to be tried in a disciplinary action before Maj. Gen. Danny Biton, head of Technological and Logistics Directorate. Thus, it was decided that the chief of staff will try him.
For one of the offenses – failure to uphold orders by allowing his wife to drive a vehicle despite it being prohibited by military order – Fares received a warning. For the military documents offense – in which he signed a document without reading and verifying its contents – he received a reprimand.
Brig. Gen. Fares is being represented by Attorney Avi Amiram and Attorney Rami Bublil.
Chief of staff's decision unrelated to trial outcome
Fares received the deputy chief of staff's ruling with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the offenses committed are minor, and they received the lightest possible punishments. On the other hand, now he must wait for the chief of staff's decision, which will be the final determinant in his continued military service.
The disciplinary action is relatively less significant than the ruling on the senior commander's future in the IDF. Alongside the disciplinary action, it was ruled that the chief of staff would take a "befitting command move," in his words. This gives the chief of staff's decision notable and weighty significance, regardless of the disciplinary outcomes from Sunday night.
Ashkenazi will make his decision based on the false statements made by the officer to his commanders regarding his wife's accident and its circumstances, an element that was not considered in the disciplinary action it is an issue between commander and commanded.
In light of the chief of staff's dismissal of Brig. Gen. Moshe (Chico) Tamir because of false statements, assessments are that he will make a similar move with Fares.
