Police arrested an off-duty reserve major Saturday night after he was found in uniform driving with two Palestinians who wanted to illegally enter Israel.
The incident occurred at the Ofer checkpoint at the entrance to Jerusalem. Combat Intelligence Collection Corps troops reported seeing a suspicious vehicle stop near the separation barrier along Highway 443, pick up two men and drive toward the city.
(Video: Israel Police)
Forces located the vehicle and ordered the driver to stop. He told them he was serving in reserve duty, knew the two passengers and was giving them a ride to Jerusalem.
A check at the checkpoint showed the passengers were Palestinians without legal permits to enter Israel. When the driver stepped out for further questioning, officers discovered he was wearing the rank of major — along with flip-flops. IDF officials confirmed he was not on active reserve duty and had been out of service for three months.
Police believe he wore the uniform to avoid a security check or obscure the circumstances of the ride.
The driver and the two Palestinians were taken to the Border Police investigations and intelligence unit for further questioning as the motive is examined.
Border Police said that over the past week, its forces arrested 344 people in Israel without permits and 42 suspects accused of transporting, housing or employing them.