Brig.-Gen. (res.) Erez Wiener, the reservist officer who was dismissed from service following a serious information security offense, acknowledged the severity of the incident but expressed disappointment over how it was handled on Tuesday.
"This incident occurred about a month and a half ago when a document fell from my hands. It was quickly found and returned to the military without causing any damage," he noted.
"I give myself a low score for this incident, which was investigated at the time and only resurfaced due to a newspaper article. I accept the decision of the chief of staff and the regional commander with pain and salute, even though it was made quickly and without any investigation or inquiry with me.
"I will continue to contribute to the security of the state as needed, as I have done all these years," he added.
"I am very proud of my long and meaningful service as the planning commander of the Southern Command in recent years, especially since October 7."
The incident
A month ago, Wiener, who was then serving in a senior position in the Southern Command, exited a building in a civilian complex in central Israel. During his visit, he accidentally dropped several classified documents and left the premises.
A security officer at the site identified the documents as belonging to the IDF and flagged them as highly sensitive. He immediately reported the matter to the police. Following the report, the documents were returned to the IDF, and an investigation was launched by the military’s Information Security Department rather than the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.
According to sources familiar with the case, the documents appear to have been dropped inadvertently. The IDF’s Information Security Department is now examining whether they contained concealment targets or other sensitive material whose exposure could have caused harm.
The military also said the officer's reserve duty will be permanently discontinued.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.