Faris fired from active duty

One of IDF's highest-ranking Druse officers punished over car crash.

By YAAKOV KATZ
imad faris 248.88 (photo credit: Courtesy of IDF)
imad faris 248.88
(photo credit: Courtesy of IDF)
IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi dismissed Brig.-Gen. Imad Faris, the former commander of Division 91 and one of the highest-ranking Druse officers in Israel, from active duty on Thursday.
In August, Faris decided to resign from the IDF after admitting to lying in a car accident report.
The accident occurred on July 28, when Faris's wife was driving his IDF-issued car and was involved in an accident. No one was injured.
Faris, however, told his commanders that he was in the car with his wife. Spouses are not allowed to drive military-issued vehicles alone.
Several weeks after announcing his resignation, Faris told Ashkenazi that he wanted to return to active duty.
Last week, he was reprimanded for the incident by Ashkenazi’s deputy Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz.
Ashkenazi met with Faris on Thursday for over an hour during which he recommended that the Druse officer announce that he had decided to resign.
Faris refused and Ashkenazi informed him that as a result, he would dismiss him from active duty.
Faris is the second division commander to leave the IDF in recent months after getting into trouble for lying about vehicle accidents.
In June, a military court demoted former Gaza Division commander Brig.-Gen Moshe "Chico" Tamir to the rank of colonel for permitting his underage son to drive an IDF dune buggy and attempting to cover up a subsequent accident.
Tamir came under investigation last year after he allowed his 14-year-old son to use the dune buggy during a social meeting of division officers and their families. The boy crashed into a civilian vehicle and caused damage to the car. Tamir then attempted to keep the case quiet and even claimed to have been the driver.