IDF officer busted for Palestinian fake ID scheme

Officer in the IDF reserves sold ID cards, which falsely stated that the holder is employed by the army, to Palestinians.

By World Israel News Staff

A reserve officer in the IDF was arrested on Monday for producing and selling fake army identification cards to Palestinians, which fraudulently stated that they were employed by the military.

The 45-year-old lieutenant colonel, who has not been publicly identified by name but was said to be a resident of northern Israel, created cards which falsely indicated that the holder was employed by the military in a role focused on enlisting Muslims and Bedouins.

Such a title or job does not exist within the Israeli army.

Six Palestinians from the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Tulkarem – all members of the same family – resided illegally in Israel for years, presenting the cards whenever they needed to verify that they had legal permission to be in Israel.

Police arrested the Palestinians, who are aged 21, 29, 31, 34, 35, and 55, on Monday.

The army officer reportedly used a civilian printer, rather than army resources, to create the fraudulent identification cards.

Earlier in July, a female IDF soldier was arrested for repeatedly smuggling illegally Palestinians into pre-1967 Israel.

19-year-old Lior Kendel, alongside her boyfriend, 21-year-old Ilan Hentken, would regularly drive Palestinians from PA-controlled territory through checkpoints into the center of the country.

Kendel, who was arrested after an investigation that lasted several weeks, claimed that she believed the Palestinians she drove held permits which allowed them to legally work in Israel.

Her claims did not hold much water with investigators, who noted that and Hentken had instructed the men to crouch down in the backseat so that they would not be seen by security staff at the checkpoints, indicating that she knew they had no legal right to enter the country.

The criminal indictment filed against Kendel revealed that one of the Palestinians who contacted her and asked to be driven into Israel was a convicted terrorist.

That terrorist was released from Israeli prison during the Gilad Shalit exchange.