Senior IDF intel officer reinstated despite sexual harassment allegations

A senior intelligence officer who was removed from his role after being accused of sexual harassment and abusing a position of authority was recently reinstated.

The lieutenant colonel, who served in the Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 8200, faced the accusations some two years ago. Following an examination by the chief of staff’s adviser on gender issues, he was removed from his role.

At the time, the military said he would continue to serve in the military but not in any role that would see him command other soldiers, “as his conduct is inconsistent with the IDF’s values.”

However, the officer was recently appointed to a new role that will see him put in a position of command over soldiers and officers again, the Ynet news site reports.

The military, in response, says that “the incident is known, was handled through the chain of command, and disciplinary action was taken.”

The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel calls on the IDF chief of staff and the gender affairs adviser to “reverse the decision to return the officer to a command position.”