Ex-intel chief Amos Yadlin joining Labor list

The Labor party is set to announce the appointment of Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin to its Knesset list, adding a security voice to a roster heavily weighted by diplomatic experts and socioeconomic activists.

Labor leader Isaac Herzog and Hatnua chief Tzipi Livni have called a press conference for 6:30 p.m. Monday at the headquarters of the joint “Zionist Camp” Knesset list in Tel Aviv in which they are expected to announce Yadlin’s appointment to the 11th slot in the Labor party’s list, which is reserved for an appointment by party chair Herzog.

Yadlin is a widely respected former Air Force general and head of IDF intelligence. He has served as head of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies since 2011.

He was one of eight pilots who participated in the bombing of Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981.

Herzog chose Yadlin over Shaul Mofaz, leader of Kadima and a former IDF chief of staff and defense minister.

Mofaz announced on Monday afternoon he was withdrawing his candidacy.

Yadlin confirmed he was in talks with Labor as late as Monday, but refused to confirm any decision. He told Army Radio on Monday afternoon, “At the moment I am the head of the Institute for National Security Studies. That is my title and that is where I am going to work this morning.”

Changes were also announced in the Likud Knesset list. The party’s elections committee announced its recount of problematic ballots found that Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely would move up by one slot, passing former Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter by just 32 votes. The announcement puts Hotovely at slot number 20 on the Knesset list, but pushes Dichter down to 26, since slots 21-25 are reserved for regional candidates. With the Likud polling at 23 in multiple recent polls, Dichter may have been pushed out of the Knesset.

Dichter announced he would contest the recount in court, while some in the party are calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is considered a close ally of Dichter, to appoint him to one of the two slots reserved for the party leader’s appointment.

Stuart Winer contributed to this report.