From the Liveblog of
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Government approves Kochavi as Israel army’s 22nd chief of staff
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe government officially approves Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi for the position of IDF chief of staff Sunday. He was scheduled to take over the position on January 15.
Kochavi, the former head of Military Intelligence and the Northern Command and the current deputy chief of staff, will be the 22nd commander of the Israel Defense Forces.
Current IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot was initially due to retire on January 1; however, to allow additional time for Kochavi to prepare for the role, Eisenkot’s tenure was extended by two weeks.
The government’s approval comes hours after reports emerged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had opposed Kochavi’s appointment, instead preferring his former military secretary, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, for the role of IDF chief of staff.
— Judah Ari Gross
The Times of Israel Community.