An IDF intelligence officer of the rank of lieutenant has been demoted - though not in rank - after he hampered the flow of intelligence information in order to prevent a military strike against PA targets. Following the twin suicide bombing attacks in Tel Aviv earlier this month, in which 23 persons were murdered and 113 wounded, the government instructed the army to prepare a list of possible strategic targets for retaliatory actions. The officer withheld intelligence information on a prime candidate target in the Shomron, thus preventing it from being hit. He later transferred the information to his superiors, after it was too late.
The officer told officials during questioning that he withheld the critical data in order to "prevent injury to innocent Palestinians," as he put it, and because he considered the order "clearly illegal." Following a trial, the officer was reassigned to an administrative position in army intelligence, instead of his former high-level intelligence gathering responsibilities.