The public criticism of the excess conditions for senior IDF officials does not seem to bother Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, who intends to grant the rank of personal lieutenant general to his associate, Col. Hadas Minka.
For the past four years, Minka has been the head of the IDF's Behavioral Sciences Department.
She is considered the officer closest to the stars and belongs to his narrowest inner circle.
The two have known each other since Minka served as the organization's organizational consultant during the time Kochavi served as head of the security services. Since then, he has often consulted with her, and considers her opinion very much.
Col. Minka, Photo: Screenshot from a video by Reichman University
Minka is considered a quality officer and a center of professional knowledge, but her promotion to the position is a precedent: all the heads of MDA before her served with the rank of colonel, and none of them received a personal rank.
Minka will also benefit from an exceptional PZM abbreviation. In principle, the IDF requires its officers to serve a certain period of time and in several positions in each rank - before they are promoted to the next rank.
Thus, combat officers are required to serve an average of three colonel positions - and in each position at least two years - before being promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
The degree that a nurse will receive is a personal degree.
The meaning, on the face of it, is merely symbolic: a rank on the shoulder, as well as a vehicle of lieutenants generals.
Her salary is supposed to remain like that of a colonel, but the IDF has always chaperoned the holders of the personal rank just before they retire, and retroactively attaches their conditions to the rank. To the officer.
Kochavi did not share the IDF leadership's intention to award the rank to Minka. Only a few were in the secret. A senior officer who was exposed following Israel Today's request said: The public, in a time of cuts. What can we tell the combat officers that the way to advance in the army is to be close to the chief of staff?
There were more promotions
This is not the first time that Kochavi has taken care to promote his associates.
About six months after taking office, he asked to appoint Gil Messing, who had previously been his spokesman in the Gaza Division and has been close to him since the IDF Spokesman.
After it was revealed in the Haaretz newspaper that Messing was assisting the police when he recorded one of the suspects in the Yisrael Beiteinu affair, he decided to waive the appointment.
Last year, Kochavi decided to promote his assistant, Col. C, to the position of head of the Operations Division in the Intelligence Division, with the rank of Brigadier General.
This is despite the fact that the officer served for a very short period of time as a colonel.
Even then, the designated appointment was published in "Israel Today," and in response, Kochavi claimed that the issue had not yet been decided, but shortly afterwards appointed G. to the position.
However, G. remained with Kochavi for a long time after the appointment, and the operating brigade in the Armed Forces had to make do with a temporary commander, including during Operation Wall Guard.
Former IDF Spokesman Hedi Zilberman,
C and Minka are considered excellent officers.
The criticism of the IDF is not about their quality and abilities, but about what the IDF has already been defined as the "celeb assumption" they receive, due to their proximity to the chief of staff. Champion and coveted position of Washington's defense annex, though he lacks a suitable background for the position.
Gantz will intervene?
The granting of the personal rank to Minka requires the approval of Defense Minister Bnei Gantz.
In principle, Gantz rarely interferes with the chief of staff in appointments in the IDF, but the senior officer believes that in the present case he has no choice.
"There is no justification for this rank. In an age where there is no money to raise the warriors' salaries, the defense minister must tell the stars - 'so far'."
The IDF was surprised by "Israel Today"'s appeal on the subject.
The IDF spokesman said in response: "The decision to grant a degree of representation to Colonel Dr. Hadas Minka, head of the IDF's Behavioral Sciences Department, is currently being examined by the IDF. This is in light of the possibility of extending her term for another two years. "In light of her unique contribution to the IDF and the exceptional projects she leads."
