On February 15, the IDF's chief of general staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz will end his tenure. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hemming and hawing over the choice of his successor. This has resulted in a sense of resentment among many in the military.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has finished interviewing the candidates, Major Generals Gadi Eizenkot and Yair Naveh. He also spoke with the candidate for Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Yair Golan. But he continued to wait for the prime minister - who has already interviewed the three candidates twice, but has yet to allow Ya'alon to announce a decision.
- Senior officers said that sensed that Netanyahu was belittling Ya'alon with his behavior. They suggested that this was causing dissatisfaction on the part of Eizenkot, considered Ya'alon's candidate.
Some in the military have expressed concern that there is insufficient time to complete the process of selecting a new appointee.
Ya'alon's people have officially denied any rift with the prime minister a result of the deliberations. But high-level IDF sources have claimed a split between the two. It must be noted that the Minister of Defense is the one who recommends the choice of Chief of Staff, so as long as Ya'alon is holding the position, he will not allow an appointment that goes against his wishes.
Some in the IDF think that Netanyahu's foot-dragging shows that he is unhappy with the candidates. But there's also a sense that he isn't really familiar with the candidates.
In the next round in the race for the Chief of Staff position, we can expect a much more significant battle between the head of the Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, and his predecessor Maj. Gen Yair Golan.