Gantz taps deputy IDF commander as nominee for next military chief

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the then-commander of the IDF Southern Command, speaks during a conference in Jerusalem on March 7, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the then-commander of the IDF Southern Command, speaks during a conference in Jerusalem on March 7, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Defense Minister Gantz has selected Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi as the next chief of the Israel Defense Forces, his office says in a statement.

“He is the most suitable officer in terms of the rich operational experience he has in a variety of operational areas, as well as in terms of his command abilities and his approach to various military issues, which he has demonstrated throughout his years of service,” Gantz says.

Halevi, 54, headed the Southern Command during several rounds of fighting between Israel and terrorists in the Gaza Strip in 2018 and 2019, and before that was head of the Military Intelligence Directorate. He is currently serving as deputy chief of IDF staff, a pivotal post on the path to the top spot.

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