In the coming days, Prime Minister Yair Lapid will meet with the two candidates for the position of Chief of Staff, before the expected decision on which of them will be appointed to replace the outgoing Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, on January 1.
Lapid's meetings with the two candidates, Majors Herzi Halevi and Eyal Zamir, will be held in coordination with Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
Even though the appointment is within the exclusive authority of the Minister of Defense, even in the past the Prime Ministers used to meet the candidates for the Chief of Staff before deciding on the chosen candidate, and this against the background of the centrality and uniqueness of the position.
Major General Herzi Halevi, photo: Dodi Vaaknin
Gantz already met with the two a few weeks ago, and will meet them again before making a final decision.
In recent weeks, he also consulted with several defense ministers and former chiefs of staff, including Shaul Mofaz and Gabi Ashkenazi, and he is expected to hold further talks in the coming days, among others with the current chief of staff Kochavi.
More than a week ago, Gantz's office also contacted opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu's office to coordinate a meeting between the two for consultation on the issue, because Netanyahu previously also served as defense minister. However, Netanyahu's office first replied that he was traveling abroad, and since then he has not yet returned to Israel. She did not set a date for a meeting with Gantz.
General Eyal Zamir, photo: Yehoshua Yosef
Last night Netanyahu sent a letter to Gantz, in which he asked him to extend Kochavi's term and avoid such a sensitive appointment during an election period.
"It is important for me to emphasize: My statement does not mean to rule out any of the candidates," Netanyahu added. Gantz's surroundings responded that Netanyahu himself appointed Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot during an election period.
Gantz intends to complete the appointment procedure as soon as possible, and this is to enable an orderly process of appointments and overlap, which are a result of the appointment.
The tenure of Kochavi Tarach?, Photo: Yossi Zeliger
Assuming that the candidate to be elected is Halevi, whose chances are much higher, it will be required to replace him in a short time in the position of Deputy Chief of Staff, in order to allow him to go on a short vacation and begin preparations for his entry into the position of Chief of Staff.
Waiting for a committee chairman
After the selection of the next chief of staff, his appointment will be submitted for approval by the advisory committee for the appointment of senior officials in the civil service. The committee was chaired by retired Chief Justice Eliezer Goldberg, who passed away a few months ago. The government has not yet appointed a replacement for him.
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