Weizmann's grandson tried for playing with weapon
Ynet learns that late president's grandson, Yonatan, accused of illegal use of arms at IDF base; luckily, no one injured in incident
The military prosecutor in the case, Lieutenant Eli Bortz, asked the court on Thursday to extend Weizmann's remand until the completion of the legal proceedings, but the judge, Major Ahsan Halabi, rejected the demand and decided to send the soldier to confinement in a military unit.
The dangerous game took place on June 18 at an IDF base in the West Bank settlement of Mavo Dotan. After it was revealed, Weizmann was held in detention for four days.
According to the indictment, the incident began when a platoon commander in a Kfir Brigade regiment loaded the weapons of Weizmann and another soldier ahead of a military patrol. The two soldiers then put on cowboy hats and began playing with their rifles next to other troops.
Stray bullet
The document reveals that Weizmann and his friends stood back-to-back, and according to one testimony, began humming the melody from the film "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". Shortly afterwards, they began walking in opposite directions, when Weizmann suddenly turned towards his friend and directed his weapon at him. After he had cocked the weapon, the game was stopped and one of the commanders unloaded the rifle and a bullet was discharged from its muzzle.
The regiment held an internal probe and decided to launch an investigation into the incident by the criminal division of the Military Police. Weizmann was arrested last week, while the Military Police continued collecting testimonies from soldiers and commanders who had witnessed the incident.
Following the investigation, it was decided to file an indictment against Weizmann. The maximum penalty for the offense he was charged with is a three-year prison term. According to the military prosecution, such an incident – which blatantly violated the army's orders and disciplinary rules – could have resulted in fatalities.
Weizmann admitted that he had been involved in the dangerous game, but said his weapon had been cocked as the handle got caught in the ballistic cattle he was wearing. He noted that the weapon had not been directed at anyone.
During his remand hearing, Weizmann pointed to several contradictions in the soldiers' testimonies and claimed that there was no reason to keep him behind bars. The judge accepted the claim and ruled that the soldier will remain in the military unit under the same conditions until his trial begins next week.
'Troops don't understand danger'
An IDF enforcement source said that the incident in Weizmann was involved had been investigated thoroughly due to the harsh results of previous incidents.
"Unfortunately, quite a few lessons had to be drawn from the blood of soldiers who were injured or killed due to unnecessary and foolish games involving weapons. We will probe, prosecute and demand deterring punishments against soldiers who fail to understand the serious danger concealed in their weapons."
The source noted, "It's enough to mention the death of Golani fighter Or Hadad last year in order to illustrate what we are facing." He added that the military investigation was being held regardless of the soldier's rank, unit or relation to the late president, which the investigators and prosecutors may be unaware of.
Yonatan Weizmann's father is Ezer Weizmann's late son, Shauli, who was killed in a road accident in 1991. Several years earlier, he was seriously wounded in the War of Attrition. Yonatan Weizmann is considered a good soldier by his commanders and has already received a number of merit certificates.
Weizmann's lawyer, Attorney Idan Pesach of the KP law firm, refused to comment on the affair.
