Vetting panel okays Herzi Halevi as next IDF chief, but government vote still needed
Current deputy head expected to take up post in January, when Kohavi’s tenure ends; Gantz says cabinet approval likely to take place Sunday
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A vetting committee approved the candidacy of Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi for the position of military chief on Tuesday, paving the way for him to step into the role early next year.
A final vote to approve Halevi, the current IDF deputy chief of staff, to take over as the 23rd commander of the Israel Defense Forces will need to be brought before the government.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said he would attempt to hold the vote during an upcoming cabinet meeting on Sunday, despite the fact that it will be only 10 days before the November 1 general election.
On Tuesday morning, the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, led by former attorney general and Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubenstein, approved Halevi taking over for outgoing army commander Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, who is due to end his tenure in January 2023.
Gantz spoke before the panel during its discussion on Halevi’s credentials. The defense minister later praised the committee’s approval of Halevi, saying “the IDF needs stability” as it is currently “faced with various challenges.”
“I have no doubt that Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi will continue the processes led by Chief of Staff Kochavi and will continue to advance the readiness of the IDF and the defense capabilities of Israel,” Gantz wrote on Twitter.
It was unclear who would take over for Halevi as IDF deputy chief of staff, as no replacement has yet been named.
Gantz nominated Halevi for the position last month, in a move considered unorthodox ahead of Israel’s November election, as caretaker governments have traditionally shied away from filling senior positions. Opposition lawmakers petitioned to block the caretaker government from making any senior appointments until a new government can be formed.
But Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said in August that she found the contents of a classified dossier along with a legal opinion provided by the Defense Ministry to be sufficient to allow the process to go ahead.
In a pool of three candidates, Halevi, 54, was seen as the frontrunner for the position, having served as the head of the IDF Southern Command and head of Military Intelligence, following years as a field commander in the Paratroopers Brigade and elite Sayeret Matkal reconnaissance unit.
A husband and father of four, Halevi holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and business administration from the Hebrew University, and a master’s degree in national resource management from the National Defense University in the United States.
He lives in the settlement of Kfar HaOranim, which straddles the West Bank border close to the city of Modiin.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
