Yesterday, the Israeli media reported that an IDF officer was caught using a false identity (Hebrew) and trolling for women on Facebook. This being Israel, the officer’s identity was under military censorship. Thanks to an Israeli source, I can expose his true identity: he is Colonel Lior Hochman, age 44, and a 26-year veteran of the IDF and senior officer in the armored corps. Hochman is, of course, married with children. He was born and raised in Netanya.
He has a past as a sex abuser, having been reprimanded eight years ago for verbal sexual harassment. Despite the discipline he faced, his advancement wasn’t impeded in the least. He is, of course, in line for a promotion to brigadier general, where he would command an armored division.
Thanks to an Israeli reader who remembered that Hochman was also severely reprimanded (Hebrew) in 2002 after awarding to outstanding units under his command looted treasure from the Muqata in Nablus during Operation Defensive Wall. The awards were given during a ceremony that celebrated the unit’s success in the military operation. Among the looted items were ceremonial swords, a pistol (displayed on his office desk) and keffiyeh.
Interesting to note that comment 40 in the thread for the above article contains this revealing information:
Lior Hochman, the “outstanding” officer, in his free time doesn’t just loot swords. He leeches off the female soldiers [in his unit] spending his nights with them, at the time when he’s said to be protecting the homeland.
His Facebook MO is to pose as an unmarried man using the fictional name, Alon Rotem, and seek assignations with women. The women describe an exceedingly charming fellow who showered them with compliments. They would never have interacted with him had they known he was married. One victim even said that he tried to have forcible sex with her.
Today’s Israeli news says that Hochman has requested a leave of absence from his position. I’d say this is a prelude to his retirement or firing. If he’d merely killed Palestinians, of course he’d have received that big promotion.
This being Israel, there is a lucrative career open to him as a security or weapons consultant offering Israel’s advanced armaments to some of the finest dictators the world has known. And of course as a private citizen he can prowl the internet and ply endless women with his lies and come-ons. He can do this with impunity.
One of the most darkly ironic statements came from MK Miri Regev, who said that Hochman’s conduct wasn’t worthy of IDF officers since they serve as moral models for Israeli society. This, from the woman who called African refugees a cancer in the Israeli body politic. I guess she means to distinguish between Israeli Jews, who deserve a high moral standard and Africans who deserve nothing but insult and derision, being of a different class than the Israeli master-race.
I’ve reported regularly here on the incredible presumption and arrogance of many Israeli males. Not to mention the justice system’s prejudice against victims of rape and sexual abuse. Israeli men in all walks of life have abused their position and privilege to bully and abuse women. A president, senior cabinet ministers, former generals. But this is the first time I’ve reported that a senior active-duty IDF officer had joined such an august boys club.
Don’t imagine there will be any discipline invoked in this case. The IDF, being the good ol’ boy’s club it is, doesn’t like to punish such misdeeds (boy officers will be boys). So Hochman will likely ride off into the sunset with his IDF pension intact and his new job beckoning.
Given that an Israeli judge partially lifted the gag in the Wael Abu Rida kidnapping as a result of my breaking the gag, perhaps the IDF censor or judge upholding the gag in this case will do the same now that I’ve broken this gag too!
By the way, last week I was ridiculed on air by Israel’s leading TV news anchor, Ehud Yaari. You know you’re doing something right when that happens. Personally, I think they both have a case of journalistic penis envy. They envy what I have (or can do) that they cannot.
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Thanks for reporting this
A 26 years old Colonel ? he must have been on a very fast promotion track, usually one would make captain (סרן) by that age and if he/she are really good they may have been promoted to Major (רב-סרן).
I’f it is Col. Hochman, he’s 44 years of age and not 26 as reported.
@EladR: A “26 year veteran of the IDF” is someone who served in the IDF for 26 years. Brush up your English & your Shakespeare!
Elad it is too bad that you didn’t read the article more closely before posting. The nefarious colonel is 44 with 26 years in the IDF where he likely abused many Palestinians and had his way with IDF women and others. I feel sorry for his long suffering wife.
Maybe behind a mask he was able to charm some of the ladies, but if he’s the guy in the picture he does seem like a bit of a schlemazel who would have little success in person. An ideal candidate for brigadier general.
How is this significant beyond maybe a brief mention in a local Netanya newspaper? How do you go from this to the “Israeli male”? Huh?
@Lark: It’s being reported in all of Israel’s major newspapers. So I guess they find it quite newsworthy.
No it’s not. If you look at the general news site of your linked source you can’t even see the headline for it:
http://news.walla.co.il/
This is not news at all. Yet you post it on your site like it’s some “big scoop”, and talk about “the Israeli male”. A guy trolling for sex on Facebook is not a story that belongs on your site which purports to present serious analysis and discussion of Israel and the middle east.
What the heck?
Yediot Aharonot of yesterday (July 10) reported on this. It wasn’t on the first page of the print newspaper, but it was in a relatively prominent place on some of the inner pages (a weekday’s paper doesn’t have many of them). By the way, Yediot spelled out the rank of the officer (Aluf Mishne).
Thanks for noting that. So Walla reported it, as did Yediot. But not good enough for Lark. Aren’t we glad he’s not a newspaper editor? We’d only be reading stories about rescuing cats stuck in trees if he had his preference.
It was posted in Israel Hayom, Channel 10 News, The NRG website and few other places as well.
Most of the media outlets in Israel aired this story.
@Lark: I never said it was on the front page. I said it’s been covered by most of Israeli main news publications, which disproves completely your bogus claim that it’s not newsworthy.
I should also note that the typical Israeli male (that would be YOU) would of course not think this story was newsworthy because he might feel his sexual prerogatives were being threatened. It’s akin to Israeli Jews telling Israeli Palestinians they never had it so good; or American whites telling blacks that there’s no more racism in America.
Not only are you not a news editor, your claim that the story isn’t news has been disproved by several veteran news editors whose judgment disagreed with yours. And I’m not going to continue in this vein with you. If I needed an editor to tell me what was newsworthy I wouldn’t ask for your help. But I don’t. So butt out. Last comment in this thread for you. If you post another comment here you’ll be moderated.
Lark,
I think that the story is significant for numerous reasons,but mostly because it is indicative of a decline in the accepted ethical standards for people in authority in Israel…….Israelis ignore this at their peril.
You say “I’ve reported regularly here on the incredible presumption and arrogance of the Israeli male. Not to mention the justice system’s prejudice against victims of rape and sexual abuse. Israeli men in all walks of life have abused their position and privilege to bully and abuse women. ” But, In a country where a president, a senior minister and a politican/former general all went in prison because of sex crimes, can you really say that?
Your saying was true if all those high ranked officals were to stay in their offices, and were acquitted by the justcie systems.
If the police would be able to prove that this officer had sex with a women under false pretences he will be accuesd of rape (a unique(?) israeli law says that having sex while pretending to be somone else is rape) and probably jailed.
@The wonderer: So you’re saying that because 3 sexual predators went to prison that means Israel has no problem with male impunity for sexual crimes? I’d say it’s just the tip of the iceberg & they are the exceptions that prove that rule. I’ve also reported here on numerous Israeli accused rapists who had no charges nor conviction. Which shows that beyond the general incompetence of the Israeli police, their predisposition not to take sexual crimes as seriously as they should be taken.
As in any other country Israel has its fare share of sex crimes, and man taking advantage of their positions. But to claim that the problem is taken lightly in israel more than in other countries, when the head of the state have been proscuted and served jail time, seems a bit harsh.
Israel have very strict laws about sexual harressment and violence.
If you can provide links to data about accused rapist, where the charges were dropped without a reason, I will be happy to learn.
@The wonderer: Search my blog for the term “rape” and you will find the posts you asked about.
I started following your blog only very recently and I have to say –
Your articles lack objectivity, and it is clear that you’re speaking from a place that has already decided beyond all doubt that Israel is the source of all evil. How disappointing…. And I though that here we have an objective news source that can deliver news that other, official, news channels cannot, I guess I should keep on looking…
You know it strikes me every time, it’s either some right wing idiot who thinks that Israel is the center of the world and that we should treat the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews, or some left wing, blind individual like yourself that only looks at the other half of the picture. In either case we are looking at “the ends of the same stick” (direct translation of an Hebrew saying).
If you can, please recommend an OBJECTIVE blog where I can read news without some political bias.
Thank you and good-luck.
@Erik: Wow, he wants an “objective” blog. With no political bias or strong point of view. Then why are you reading blogs in the first place?
At least when in Israel the president say “he did not have sex with that woman” and everybody knows he’s not telling the truth, he goes down for rape.
I guess this does not apply to other nations.
The difference is that Katsav actually raped women, forcibly had sex with them against their will. Clinton lied about having sex with a woman, but didn’t rape her. There is a difference.
Richard, I would add that it is a compliment to be dissed by Ehud Yaari, who is not a news anchor (usually), but rather a commentator on “Arab affairs”. A very jingoistic and national-chauvinist kind of fellow.
Well done on this scoop – Israeli women should thank you for this.
@Gila: Nice to hear from you again. And thanks for the correction about Ehud Yaari. I had the mistaken impression he was an anchor. So I’m glad he isn’t quite as prominent and respected (by some) as I feared.
Oh, wanted to comment on the photo also: To me it looks like adoring faces from the 2 non-soldiers in the photo. And Lior Hochman has a smug look on his face, not a shlemozzle, in my opinion.
I wondered if the photographer actually crouched down to take the shot, which portrays Hochman as high and mighty.
Here’s a song for our heroic man in uniform
@ Richard,
i think you were the first one in the world (at least as far as i know) to have published it.
kol hakavod!
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4404336,00.html