The IDF chief rabbi was reprimanded on Thursday for approving the improper request of a colonel, which led to an increase in the man’s salary.Col. O, the head of the IDF’s Information Security Branch, will step down in February after it was discovered he applied for – and received – a higher salary than he was entitled to.According to a senior army source, Col. O sought recognition from the Chief Rabbinate Council for the title of chief rabbi of a city, a request that was granted, and which resulted in an addition to his monthly salary. Col. O, who held a previous rabbinical role in the military, turned to the IDF Rabbinate and requested a recommendation for the title. The IDF Rabbinate agreed to provide the request, but the IDF has since concluded that Col. O was not entitled to receive the additional title, since his current role is unrelated to any rabbinical military work.The IDF’s chief rabbi, Brig.-Gen. Rafi Peretz, was reprimanded for approving the request without an adequate investigation, though the army source said Peretz did this in good faith.In line with a decision by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen.Gadi Eisenkot, Col. O was reprimanded by his superiors, and returned all of the additional income – totaling tens of thousands of shekels – that he received after getting the title. He will resign from military service on February 1.
