Galant 'document forger' may be arrested

Former officer Lt.-Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz denies involvement.

Galant 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Galant 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The suspect who allegedly forged the "Galant document" is Lt.-Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz, Israel Radio reported overnight Friday.
According to the report, Harpaz, a businessman and mid-ranking IDF official, is currently abroad and will be investigated by police upon his arrival in Israel, who are interested whether Harpaz acted on his own will or was instructed to forge the document.
RELATED:Barak to resume interviews for IDF headState: We don't need Channel 2's copyAnalysis: ‘In the care of worthy commanders’Harpaz has served in various positions in Military Intelligence (AMMAN) in the past.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday commended the police for a quick and professional investigation into the Galant case during a telephone conversation with Israel Police Insp.-Gen. Dudi Cohen and Yoav Segalovitch, who heads the police investigations and intelligence department.
Barak said that the quick actions of the police meant that attempts to disrupt the investigation could be avoided.
Earlier Friday, Col. Gabi Siboni, a close friend of OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen Gadi Eisencott, admitted to leaking the Galant document to Channel 2.
According to reports, Siboni claims the document is authentic, and although he leaked it, he said he had no part in its creation. The Galant affair involved a document leaked to Channel 2 which detailed a PR campaign to secure the chief of general staff position for Maj.-Gen Yoav Galant.
The admission came after police on Thursday declared the document to be a forgery and cleared all candidates for the position of charges and presumably ending the affair.
“There is no basis to suspect Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi of being involved in drawing up the document,” police said, adding that all of the major candidates for the position have also been cleared of involvement.
Barak was scheduled to interview the five leading candidates to fill the IDF's top position on Friday: OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eisencott, deputy CGS Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz, OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrahi and IDF attache in Washington, Gadi Shamni.
The "Galant document" has caused an uproar since it was released on August 6, hindering the selection process for the next IDF chief of staff and sowing discord and public unease with the IDF.