Government approves PM’s appointment of Ofir Levy as deputy head of National Security Council

The government approves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of Ofir Levy as deputy head of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister’s Office announces.

Levy will replace Gil Reich, who has completed his tenure, following a recommendation by recently appointed National Security Council chief Shmuel Ben Ezra. Reich was also serving as acting national security adviser after Tzachi Hanegbi was removed from the role in October, amid reported disagreements with the premier over Israel’s policies during the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Levy previously held roles as head of doctrine for the Armored Corps, commander of the 679th Reserve Brigade, and deputy commander of the 210th Golan Heights Regional Division, and served as a border defense consultant for Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the PMO adds.

His appointment to the key role in Israeli security policy is for a five-year term and may be extended for additional periods, provided that the total duration of the appointment does not exceed ten years, according to the PMO.