An Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier has been accused of moonlighting as a smuggler, ferrying Palestinians across the border she was sworn to protect.
As reported by JPost, the 19-year-old soldier, whose identity remains undisclosed, led a double life. By day, she donned the olive IDF uniform. By night, she waited tables at a restaurant in Rishon Lezion. It was here that she allegedly met an illegal Palestinian immigrant who worked at the restaurant. She began driving him back and forth from his home in a village in the West Bank. After they had become friends, the Palestinian offered the female soldier a deal: Money to smuggle illegal immigrants into Israel.
According to the indictment filed in Petah Tikva Magistrate Court, the soldier and her 21-year-old boyfriend from Karnei Shomron orchestrated at least 30 smuggling runs. Their modus operandi was simple yet audacious: pick up undocumented Palestinians at a gas station on Route 443, then shuttle them through the Maccabim crossing into central Israel.
The couple's brazenness reached new heights when the soldier allegedly conducted one of these illicit transports while in full IDF uniform.
Among their clientele was reportedly a former security prisoner released in the controversial Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.
For each successful crossing, the couple allegedly pocketed between 200 and 300 shekels (approximately $55-$82). It's a paltry sum when weighed against the potential consequences: if convicted, they face years behind bars and the indelible stain of having betrayed their nation during wartime.
The case, unfolding against the backdrop of Operation Iron Swords, exposes vulnerabilities in Israel's security apparatus and the blurred lines between duty and personal gain.
