IDF chief says preparing for annexation is the military’s top priority

IDF chief Aviv Kohavi says preparations for possible Israeli annexation of portions of the West Bank is the military’s top priority, warning that an outbreak of violence there could potentially spread out beyond its borders.

“We are in a period that may challenge the region’s stability. Preparation is at the top of our list of priorities. Rising tensions in the central region can lead to rising tensions on other fronts. Therefore we are preparing for the possibility of a campaign that will extend beyond the borders of Judea and Samaria,” he says, using the biblical term for the West Bank.

Kohavi makes his remarks at a ceremony marking Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan’s exit from the IDF Central Command and Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai’s entrance into the position of commander of the unit.

— Judah Ari Gross