Netanya Man Charged as Middleman in Stolen IDF Rifle Sale

The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against Surafel Getahun, a 27-year-old resident of Netanya, accusing him of acting as an intermediary in the sale of M4 assault rifles stolen from a military base. The investigation into the soldier who allegedly stole the weapons is being handled by military prosecutors.

According to reports, in early September, IDF Sergeant Rafael Shemesh stole three M4 rifles from a base in Atlit. Each rifle was loaded with a magazine containing 29 rounds and equipped with an optical sight. After removing the weapons from the base, the soldier traveled to Netanya.

In Netanya, the soldier met with several individuals, including Getahun, and displayed the rifles before returning them to a bag in a car's trunk. When the soldier stepped away, Getahun reportedly opened the trunk, took one rifle, and fled. The soldier pursued him, and Getahun discarded the rifle in a trash bin. After the soldier caught up to him, Getahun apologized, retrieved the rifle from the bin, and offered to find a buyer for all three weapons.

Subsequently, Getahun contacted another individual and facilitated a meeting between them and the soldier. The three rifles, along with their magazines and additional ammunition, were then transferred to the buyer. The prosecution has requested that Getahun be held in custody until the trial concludes, citing conflicting accounts he provided during interrogations. Getahun has a prior record of four convictions, including assault, theft, property damage, and obstruction of a police officer.