Police arrest IDF reservist officer for forging military credentials for six Palestinians

An IDF reserve officer and six Palestinians were arrested on suspicion of forging military credentials that presented the Palestinians as military personnel, Israel Police reported Monday.

The officer was a Lieutenant Colonel, 45, from the North of Israel.  

The Palestinians were all from Tulkarm and were able to stay within the borders of the state of Israel due to these fake permits.

An investigation by the local investigation unit was conducted over the past few months against an IDF reservist suspected of having issued fake military appointment certificates to six Palestinians, all members of the same family living in the country, which they presented whenever they needed to identify themselves.

The investigation was conducted in cooperation with military police

The investigation, conducted in cooperation with the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, revealed that in recent years, the officer printed non-existent military appointment certificates at a civilian printing house, portraying the holders as official IDF personnel assisting the military.

The officer's arrest was extended until next Wednesday. At the request of his defense attorney, his identity was banned from publication. The other suspects were released under restrictive conditions, and the police have filed an appeal.

These permits enabled the Palestinians to avoid deportation from Israel back to the West Bank.