Barak interviews Naveh, Eizenkot, Gantz for IDF chief position
Defense minister interviews Naveh, Eizenkot, Gantz in effort to expedite process of choosing next chief of staff; officers say Barak's claim that Ashkenazi tried to help main suspect in Galant document affair leave country unfounded, meant to create 'false impression'
Ehud Barak began interviewing candidates for the IDF chief of staff position, Ynet reported Thursday evening.
The defense minister's office said in a statement that he interviewed Deputy IDF chief Major General Yair Naveh, Northern Command chief Major General Gadi Eizenkot and former deputy army chief Major General Benny Gantz for the job. More interviews will possibly take place.
According to the statement, Barak, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, intends to speed up the process of choosing the next IDF chief.
On Tuesday Barak decided to appoint Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh as interim IDF chief following the cancelation of Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant's appointment. However, senior ministers have been trying to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to thwart Naveh's appointment.
In response to Barak's decision to appoint General Naveh as temporary chief of staff rather than extend Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi's term by two months, citing "serious ethical, normative, and even professional issues," IDF officials said the defense minister was trying to degrade the current army chief.
"We regret (Barak's) repeated efforts to slander Ashkenazi and the fact that he is taking advantage of the (IDF chief's) decision not to respond to these allegations," an IDF official said Thursday.
Barak has criticized Ashkenazi's conduct after the IDF obtained information according to which Lt. Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz, who is suspected of forging a letter to promote the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant as IDF chief, was planning to leave Israel.
'We regret defense minister's conduct.' Ashkenazi (L) and Barak (Photo: AP)
Barak's office claimed that Ashkenazi did not assist the efforts to prevent Harpaz from leaving the country, while the IDF said he was not authorized to do so.
"Barak's accusations are unfounded and are only aimed at vilifying Ashkenazi," another army official said. "The allegations are meant to distort the facts and create the false impression that the chief of staff and his office are trying to help Harpaz leave the country."
According to the official, when news of the affair broke out Ashkenazi was in Brussels for a conference of NATO military chiefs and was updated on the developments later.
"Even after Ashkenazi returned, the deputy army chief was put in charge of handling the affair on the IDF's behalf, without the chief of staff's intervention," said the official.
"There is no doubt this is the reason behind the decision not to extend Ashkenazi's term."
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