Decisions over the appointments of Shin Bet chiefs, the Mossad and the Armed Forces - put the secret organizations into professional and political vigilance • It is difficult to say that there is much mutual appreciation between Cohen, Crimson and Hayman. opinion
The visit to the Gulf by GSS chief Nadav Argaman, which was revealed yesterday in "Israel Today", was one of the last he holds as head of the organization. Given Corona, it is doubtful that Argaman will leave the country many more times until he is due to end his term - in May 2021.
We will make sure that Iran never has nuclear weapons // Photo Archive: Moshe Ben Simhon
"Say" is the key word.
According to the GSS law, the service head's term lasts five years, and Crimson ends them in five months. If it depended on him, he would be happy to retire on Independence Day, and retire. But some of his friends advised him not to rush and plan a release next summer The GSS law allows for the term of office of the head of the organization to be extended for another year, a sixth, and Crimson may find himself asked to stay for another period.
On the face of it there is no reason for this to happen.
The law speaks of extension in exceptional circumstances, which do not exist.
He was employed by Yuval Diskin, whose sixth year was his least good year in office.
Crimson also talks about the need to refresh the lines, and to flow new blood.
His constant answer to the question of who should succeed him is that in order to be the head of the GSS, one must first be a deputy.
One can take things for granted: that in order to be number 1 successful, one must first be number 2. If the head of the organization is the commander, his deputy is the actual manager.
To a large extent, his performance in this role - including the friction with politicians and statesmen - shows how well-suited he is to lead the organization in the future.
This is true in the army, and it is also true in the Shin Bet. This is also the reason for the permanent insistence that the chief of staff will pass earlier in the position of lieutenant, and for the permanent opposition (by appointment of Yoav Galant) to bounce those who have not previously served in the pyramid.
Under Crimson served two deputies, both R..
The first rabbi was formerly the head of the southern region and the head of the headquarters division.
R. II was the head of the operations division and the head of the headquarters division.
The first is an Arabist, the second a performer.
Both are very experienced and fit for the job, each with their own pros and cons.
Naturally, one of them is also supposed to inherit crimson.
Towards a freeze?
But the prime minister, the GSS commander, may have other plans. Benjamin Netanyahu may appoint Meir Ben-Shabbat, who serves as head of the National Security Staff and is very close to him. Ben Shabbat has a rich GSS record - he was the head of the counterterrorism division, The cyber wing and the head of the southern space - but he was not a deputy.
For Netanyahu, it seems, this may be less disturbing: he also wanted to appoint his former military secretary, Major General Eyal Zamir, to the post of chief of staff, without being deputy chief of staff;
This provoked much criticism, and the one who was finally appointed was Aviv Kochavi, and Zamir was his deputy.
For the next round, Zamir will be much more experienced (with Netanyahu's support, in case he is still in office).
Roi Sharon, the military commentator for the Public Broadcasting Corporation, announced this week that GSS officials are threatening to resign if Ben Shabbat is appointed to the position. Two will resign for sure if that happens - the two deputies, R. and R. This is less clear about other senior officials. With all due respect to the personal matter, it is much worth noting the criticism inherent in the threat.
It does not focus on Ben-Shabbat's professional abilities (which are also disputed, unjustly), but on his close proximity to Netanyahu and the fact that he also carried out political missions for him in essence.
The most prominent of these is the conversation that took place about two years ago with our father-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Druckman.
Ben Shabbat was then sent to brief the rabbi on the security situation, with the aim of exerting his influence on Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked and preventing them from resigning from the government.
In private conversations, Ben-Shabbat claims that he is not at all enthusiastic about being appointed head of the Shin Bet. This can be doubted: everyone who grew up in the organization - any organization, certainly the Shin Bet - aspires to become its head.
Ben Shabbat is more likely to know that any involvement in the issue could increase criticism of him, and he also knows the appointee - Netanyahu - who is careful to work with people he trusts, so he may ask everyone to freeze: keep Crimson and Ben Shabbat in office, and postpone the decision for another year .
In any case, as long as the current government is in office, an agreement is reached with the deputy prime minister, Defense Minister Bnei Gantz, who will want to influence who will serve as GSS chief and national security chief under him, and postpone the decision for his term. Will continue to hover in the air.
It's bad for Ben Shabbat, it's bad for the Shin Bet, and it's bad for the citizens of Israel. In these positions - chief of staff, head of the Armed Forces, head of the Mossad, head of the Shin Bet and police commissioner, just like the Attorney General and the State Attorney - the trust must To be a kingdom, not a king.All these people must be able to look directly at the prime minister (any prime minister) and tell their professional truth, even if it is less suited to his or her political positions or needs.
New from the nylons
The turnover at the top of the security does not end at the GSS. In the coming months, the heads of the Mossad and the IDF Intelligence Division are also expected to be replaced.
The legacy of Yossi Cohen - who is completing a particularly successful term as head of the Mossad, which has already been extended by six months - is being contested by his two deputies, A. (who served as his deputy at the beginning of his term) and D., his current deputy.
However, the prime minister may choose to run for office.
Senior officials at the institution recently said it would be a slap in the face to the organization, which is in a good professional and operational period.
"You can understand when you are financing someone from the outside in a time of crisis, when you need a deep change or a shake-up. That is not the case," said one of them.
In the Israel Defense Forces, the confrontation is between the head of the Operations Division, General Aharon Haliva, the head of the ICT Division, General Lior Carmeli, and Brigadier General Eliezer Toledano, who until recently served as commander of the Gaza Division.
Before that, Toledano was Netanyahu's military secretary, and if he was appointed, he would have to deal with whoever was in charge of him.
Although the IDF has in the past served several heads that it was their first position in the General Staff (including Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and General Commander of the Southern Command Herzli Halevi), and yet - for this sensitive position it is better to appoint a veteran and more experienced officer.
In principle, exchanges of three heads of intelligence organizations simultaneously are undesirable.
It takes time to grow in these roles, and develop the necessary self-confidence and discretion.
A top intelligence-operational intelligence that is entirely new and inexperienced is a recipe for squeaks, which can also have a price.
The way to bridge this is through a gradual replacement, and at the same time - in improving the working relationship between the heads of the three organizations.
It is difficult to say that there is much mutual appreciation between Cohen, Argaman and the head of the Security Service, Tamir Heiman.
The relationship between them knew a lot of downsides, and in the closed rooms quite a bit of criticism is leveled. As always, some things are justified and some less so, but it's already spilled milk. Their successors will have to transcend these matters (and the desires of the political echelon), and put before their eyes the only thing that matters, and for which they have remained in the public service for decades: national security.
