Suspected of Abuse of Authority: Brig. Gen. Yogev Bar-Sheshet, Deputy Ombudsman of the Defense Establishment, Retires from IDF
Brig. Gen. Yogev Bar-Sheshet, the deputy ombudsman of the defense establishment, is retiring from the IDF following a case in which he was suspected of abusing his authority and exposing classified information. The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division determined the acts were not criminal, but a command inquiry by the deputy chief of staff found he acted unethically. His appointment to the General Staff Forum was canceled.
Brig. Gen. Yogev Bar-Sheshet, the deputy ombudsman of the defense establishment, is retiring from the IDF amid a case in which he was suspected of abusing his authority as deputy ombudsman and exposing classified information to unauthorized individuals. The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division determined the acts did not cross the criminal threshold, and the case was transferred to the deputy chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai. Following a command inquiry that lasted several weeks, it emerged that Bar-Sheshet acted unethically in a manner unbecoming an officer of his rank, and it was decided he would retire. Bar-Sheshet was slated to be appointed a member of the General Staff Forum and chief safety officer, but the appointment was canceled. The case began with a written report submitted by an officer who complained about Bar-Sheshet in early May. The report reached senior officials in the IDF high command, and an investigation was opened by the Central Unit for Special Investigations of the Military Police, in cooperation with the IDF Information Security Department and under the supervision of the Military Advocate General. Previously, Bar-Sheshet served as deputy head of the Civil Administration, deputy commander of the 162nd Division, commander of the Yoav Brigade, operations officer of the Southern Command, and commander of Battalion 50. In May 2024, he was wounded by shrapnel in Zaytun.