Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday told Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi that he must complete the army’s investigations of the war by the end of January, and hand Katz all the investigation materials completed so far. This followed an understanding reached in the first working meeting between the DM and the IDF Chief, that Halevi would retire in February, after the IDF war investigations are completed.
Until then, the minister noted, no new appointments of IDF general-level officers would be approved, as he, Katz, must study the material to understand its possible impact on candidates for promotion.
Halevi responded to Katz’s decision to delay seniors’ promotions until their performance in the October 7 events is reviewed, saying: “Appointing officers to positions is a command and operational obligation. The IDF cannot afford to freeze.”
Having promoted to key position a sizeable group of officers with a murky October 7 record, the chief of staff is now campaigning to keep their hide from being sacked once Katz discovers their failures.
Many military commentators in Israel believe that Halevy chose to promote officers who had shared with him the catastrophic decisions surrounding October 6-7, 2023, to guarantee their support for him before the state commission of inquiry the day after the war.
The man most likely to succeed Halevi is Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, Director General of the Defense Ministry. Zamir served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Commander of the Southern Command, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Military Secretary.
The planned appointment of the next Chief of Staff requires the approval of the Committee for Senior Appointments in the Public Service and the Government. The official process, which includes interviews of the candidates with Netanyahu, has not yet begun, but the chances that Zamir will not accept the position are considered low.
Zamir will be the first Chief of Staff to emerge from the Armored Corps. After his appointment, he is expected to return to service several high-ranking officers who have been dismissed by Halevi in recent years. Together with these officers, such as Brigadier General Ofer Winter, General Yaniv Asor, and Colonel Nochi Mendel will be required to lead an unprecedented growth process, centered on strengthening the ground forces and providing a response to the Iranian nuclear threat.
