Ex-IDF chief to head Israel’s basketball association

Former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz was elected Tuesday as the next chairman of the Israel Basketball Association.

Halutz, a former IAF pilot, was chief of staff during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and sustained a large part of the criticism after the 34-day war, which was judged a failure.

Halutz will replace Shimon Mizrahi, chairman of powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, who served as the association’s temporary chairman following the resignation of Avner Koppel in April.

Due to a lawsuit against Halutz’s appointment, over the fact that he is not yet a member of the IBA, eight members of the association abstained during the vote, while 20 embraced the former IDF chief’s nomination.

A panel of five IBA judges will hold a discussion on Sunday regarding Halutz’s appointment. The panel is expected to rule whether Halutz can be granted full IBA membership.

Halutz, Haaretz reported, requested to postpone his assuming of the position until after receiving official membership approval from the panel.

“From the moment the possibility of my appointment as chairman of the union came up, some IBA members have been hesitant with regard to the soundness of the election process,” Halutz wrote in a letter issued Tuesday to the IBA board of directors.

“As a person for whom the law is a guiding light, I think the legal dispute should be clarified before I begin to fill the role.”