Firefighter's promotion suspended after allegedly assaulting wife
The firefighter, following the assault, was allowed to go on leave for two weeks and returned to work to begin his officers course to eventually move up to the commissioner position.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated: JUNE 19, 2021 11:30Domestic violence (Illustrative)(photo credit: ING IMAGE/ASAP)
A firefighter for the Israel Fire and Rescue Service allegedly assaulted his wife in front of his friend and was detained for questioning by police.The unnamed firefighter was apparently up for the position to be the next fire commissioner, however, the district commander did not see it fit to suspend him from his duties despite admitting to the acts attributed to him. After publication of the alleged offenses, his promotion was halted.The alleged attack took place on the day of a wedding being held for the daughter of an officer from where the firefighter was stationed.The firefighter had drank a lot at the wedding and was brought home to his house by a colleague. When arriving at the home, the firefighter's partner and colleague helped him up the stairs, after which the suspect allegedly began punching his wife and threw her to the ground.The colleague and his wife immediately called the police in shock after the outburst, and he was arrested for questioning. He was released under restrictive conditions.The firefighter, following the assault, was allowed to go on leave for two weeks and returned to work to begin his officers course to eventually move up to the commissioner position.Two days following the incident, the district commander wrote a letter to human resources detailing the events that transpired, saying he should not be punished."The employee is a very dedicated and professional employee, with great potential for promotion," District Commander Tafser Ronen Makhtayev wrote. "He is also a candidate for the upcoming officers course."The employee is disciplined and has a high sense of service," he added. "The employee is always ready to help his friends, cares and does his job very well."He further noted that "in view of the assessment of the character of the employee by his commanders, and in view of his departure for a two-week leave, I did not find it appropriate at this stage to recommend taking an urgent suspension step."
The decision to put him up for the officers course took place a week after the assault.However, following publication of the events, the district commander recommended canceling the firefighter's participation in the officers course, claiming he was unaware of the full scope of the situation and the details of the events.On June 10, human resources, after being updated with the outstanding information, decided to suspend his participation in the course. He however, left it open for it to be possible to reinstate the officer once the investigation comes to a close.In a statement, the district commander said that he strongly condemns violence in general, and violence against women in particular."We will not be able to comment on the details of the incident, which we do not fully know, and the matter is still under police investigation," he added. "However, it will be clarified that the incident was reported immediately after it occurred in accordance with Civil Service Regulations and the Civil Service Commission."This article originally appeared in Walla and was translated into English by Zachary Keyser.
