Katz signs off on Itai Ofir as next IDF legal chief, despite reported opposition from PM

Itai Ofir will become the military advocate general later this month after Defense Minister Israel Katz signed off on an official document yesterday ratifying his appointment.

Ofir will be promoted to the rank of major general before entering the role on November 24, Katz’s office says.

The announcement from Katz’s office comes after Channel 12 news claimed this morning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was shocked and angered by the appointment of Ofir, and had apparently expected the defense minister not to ratify it. The outlet had previously reported that Netanyahu’s son, Yair, had cited multiple grievances against Ofir and apparently wanted the appointment cancelled.

Ofir is an attorney who served as the Defense Ministry legal adviser between 2017 and 2024. Before that, he worked as a lawyer in the private sector in Israel and the United States.

In the military, Ofir was a combat officer in the Givati Brigade, and in the reserves, he served in the Negev Brigade.

This means that Ofir will be promoted by five ranks, from captain to major general. (Such promotions are rare but not unprecedented in the military.)

Ofir is replacing Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned over the Sde Teiman abuse video leak scandal.