The Nagel Commission to evaluate force building and the security budget, headed by Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel, convened on Sunday for its first meeting – half a year after its creation. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended by the defense minister, the finance minister, the director of the National Security Council, the governor of the Bank of Israel, the IDF deputy chief-of-staff, and the finance ministry budget.
Nagel, 67, served as deputy chief of the National Security Council, and was responsible for the US military aid agreement, headed the team on the nuclear agreement with Iran, and signed the reconciliation agreement with Turkey. In May 2018, he was appointed as a public representative in the committee to approve senior government appointments, but resigned in September 2018, after the High Court froze an appointment following a petition by the Movement for Integrity.
According to the PM’s Office press release, “In appointing the commission members, special emphasis was given to the economic and budgetary aspects, the security aspects and the security outlook (while taking into consideration the events of October 7) and the high public profile required of the Commission members – men and women alike – in order to give validity to its recommendations.”
In his congratulatory message on the long-awaited initial meeting of the commission, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich did not miss an opportunity to sting Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, stating that the commission would be convened “following a prolonged demand on Smotrich’s part.” Smotrich often accused Gallant of delaying the establishment of the commission. After disputes between the two ministers over the composition of the committee as well as the very need for its establishment, Smotrich announced that he had reached an agreement with Gallant on the establishment of the committee. But since then, it had not convened, because of an objection from AG Gali Baharav-Miara who argued it included 6 men and no women.
The revamped lineup of the commission is: Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Jacob Nagel, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Effie Eitam, Michal Abadi-Boiangiu, Col. (Res.) Avital Drielinger, Koby Haber, Liora Tuchinsky, Col. (Res.) Talia Lankry, Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Amikam Norkin, Prof. Idit Solberg, Maj.-Gen. Yaakov Amidror, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Maharan Prosenfer and Col. (Res.) Orit Alali.
That’s 6 women.
The commission’s mandate is to evaluate and formulate recommendations regarding the IDF’s force-building needs and the security budget in the coming decade while taking into account the impact on the state budget and the economy.
Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized the urgency in submitting the commission’s recommendations (after six months of complete inaction) and directed that its work be concluded within four months and that interim conclusions be presented while the work is going on, without impairing the depth of the evaluations.
