New Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Appointed

Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot has been appointed as the new Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army. Mr. Eisenkot, who is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff, will succeed Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, the current Chief of Staff, at the end of February 2015 (in about two months). AFP reported that the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Israel announced the appointment of Gadi Eisenkot as the new Chief of Staff on Saturday, December 8. In recent years, Mr. Eisenkot had expressed his opposition to a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in a private letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that he argued in that letter that such an attack would lead Israel into a long-term conflict with Iran and its ally, Hezbollah in Lebanon, while simultaneously weakening Israel's relations with the United States. Meir Javadanfar, a university professor and political analyst in Israel, stated in an interview with Radio Farda that the new Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army is known for his past opposition to a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, although his current position on this matter is unclear. Mr. Javadanfar also added that the Chief of Staff in Israel does not decide to initiate war with other countries and is merely an executor of the orders of political leaders, but according to the laws of this country, he has the authority to prevent the execution of an illegal order from the Prime Minister. This analyst points to the opposition of Gabi Ashkenazi, the former Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, to an order to increase the readiness level of the armed forces, which was issued by the Prime Minister without consulting the Israeli cabinet. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished success for the new Chief of Staff, stating that he was chosen "from among a group of distinguished generals." Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon also said that Gadi Eisenkot was "the best choice to face the complex security challenges" of the country.