French millionaire declared deserter by IDF
David-Guy Lesueur, sole heir of French business empire arrives at military induction center asking to enlist, IDF not thrilled with gesture, arrests him for desertion
David-Guy Lesueur, 25, a French-Jewish businessman and sole heir to an empire worth millions has been held for the past two weeks at the Military Confinement Base 394 (Prison Four) after he arrived in Israel to enlist in the IDF.
Lesueur is the only son of a very wealthy French family currently dominating the global business world. At 14 he came with his mother to live in Israel and a few years later received his military draft order.
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At the time, Lesueur's father suffered from a heart attack and as his only son, David received a deferment of service in order to go back to France to care for his father and help run the family business.
After the father's condition deteriorated David was forced to request that his Israeli citizenship be revoked so that he wouldn't have to enlist. Meanwhile, his mother also returned to France and the young Lesueur moved to the US to study Business Administration.
A letter sent by Lesueur's lawyer to the IDF absorption center states: "David has been carrying out volunteer work for the benefit of Israel, in spite of his difficult school load. He was even honored by the Israeli consulate in Boston and received an invitation to their Independence Day celebrations."
After completing his studies last month Lesueur returned to Israel. When he arrived at the military induction center and requested to enlist he was arrested and transferred to Prison Four. His lawyer claimed in court that his client came to enlist willingly and that he had no intention of fleeing.
Yet next week the IDF is set to file and indictment against Lesueur.
"I find the IDF's attitude hard to understand," said the lawyer. "Why would the IDF take a man like him, who loves Israel and the heir of an empire worth millions and instead of turning him into a soldier they treat him this way?"
The IDF Spokesman said in response: "The aforementioned is an Israeli citizen who was arrested for desertion after he failed to report for his conscription in spite of being in possession of a draft order. His status as a deserter was made clear to him in a meeting with IDF commanders in 2007."
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