Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Defense Ministry gets its first female deputy director general
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
Racheli Chen (Defense Ministry)
The Defense Ministry announces the appointment of Racheli Chen as deputy director general and head of its planning division, making her the first woman to serve in the senior role overseeing staff work and the implementation of the ministry’s multiyear force buildup plans.
Chen has led the Defense Export Controls Agency for the past decade and previously held a range of positions within the ministry’s research and development and procurement bodies.
She will replace Itamar Graf, who served in the role for four years and has been appointed acting head of the ministry’s Political-Military Affairs Bureau.
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