IDF chief reprimands base and company commanders following fatal accident
Army sources say commanders bear general but no personal responsibility for the incident that left two young officers dead
Two senior military officers were severely reprimanded by IDF Chief of the General Staff Benny Gantz on Sunday for their role in a car accident that caused the deaths of two naval officers last month.
Twenty-five-year-old Captain Omri Shahar and 22-year-old Lt. Rafael Boublil died on June 27 when their vehicle overturned on Route 4 near Rishon Lezion. Two other officers were injured in the accident, one severely and another lightly.
Gantz accepted the findings of a military investigation and issued letters of reprimand to the Ashdod base commander, Col. Dror Friedman, and the company commander, who has not been identified.
Gantz followed the recommendations of Navy Chief Major General Ram Rothberg and, in addition to the letters of reprimand, decreed that the unidentified company commander, who is about to finish his duty, will not be deployed in another position of command for two years.
“Responsibility and discipline are crucial elements for a commander, on which he should capitalize when leading his troops,” said Gantz at conclusion of the investigation.
A military source told Channel 2 News that the commanders carried no personal responsibility for the accident, however they should not have allowed their charges to drive back to base after a party at a restaurant. Military Police have not established whether or not Shahar and Boublil were drunk on the night of the accident.