Plea deal talks defer trial for general accused of rape

The prosecution and the defense in the case of an IDF general accused of rape have agreed, at the behest of a special military tribunal assembled to try the case, to defer his trial and discuss a possible plea bargain.

The mediation process in the case of Brig. Gen. Ofek Buchris, will be managed by a former military judge, Maj. Gen. Ilan Shiff, according to a statement from an army spokesperson.

Ofek Buchris speaks to reporters outside his Galilee home after an indictment was filed against him, charging the brigadier general with rape, sodomy and other indecent acts on July 21, 2016. (Screen capture: Walla news)

The trial for Buchris, who is accused rape, sodomy and sexual assault against two former female subordinates, was initially set to begin on September 29.

Under Israeli law, sodomy constitutes either oral or anal sex when the authority figure exploits “authority in the workplace or in (national) service.”

Buchris officially resigned from the Israel Defense Forces in July in order to manage his legal defense as a civilian.

— Times of Israel staff contributed