A personal computer containing classified documents and sensitive military information were stolen on Monday night from the home of Maj. Gen Hagai Topolansky, head of the Israeli military’s personnel directorate. His car was also taken.
The stolen computer is IDF property and the IDF is investigating whether the computer had been left inside the car.
Topolansky will likely be questioned under caution, as someone who might be charged with a crime.
According to IDF guidelines it is forbidden to leave military computers in cars or homes out of fear that they could be stolen. Senior commanders have been dismissed in the recent past for similar incidents.
Topolansky has held his position for two years. He recently lost a bid to be named as Israel’s next air force chief, and had therefore been expected to retire from the IDF once completing his current role.
The IDF general staff values Topolansky’s implementation of personnel reforms spearheaded by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.
But Topolansky has also come under the harsh criticism of military rabbis and senior Religious Zionist officials who accuse him of offending religious soldiers, by instituting rules such as restricting beards, reducing the influence of military rabbis and placing a Jewish consciousness program once run by the rabbis under the jurisdiction of his own office.
Eisenkot addressed critics on Tuesday, saying these steps were intended to strengthen the army, anc accusing :”interested parties from the outside” of criticizing these steps “solely to advance their personal agendas.”
Two months ago a general in the reserves was suspended for two weeks for the theft of a personal computer, and a year ago an artillery commander in northern command, Lieut. Col. Ilan Levy, was dismissed after military documents were lost inside a car of his that was stolen.
