Yashar party chairman and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot suggested Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the appointment of Sharon Afek as the military advocate general due to Afek’s sexual orientation.
Afek later became the first openly gay officer to reach the rank of major general in the IDF.
Gallery
Yashar party chairman and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot
(Photo: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Speaking at the Hukei Sagi conference organized by the Equality in Life group, Eisenkot said he had always selected people for senior positions based on their suitability for the job.
“During my term as chief of staff, there were three candidates for the position of military advocate general, and Sharon Afek was clearly the strongest,” he said. “He is a brilliant legal mind and an excellent commander, and that is why he was selected.”
Eisenkot said then-defense minister Moshe Ya’alon initially welcomed the appointment, but returned to him two days later with concerns.
“When I informed the defense minister of the appointment, he was very pleased,” Eisenkot said. “Two days later, he approached me and said there was a problem. We spoke, agreed there was no problem, and afterward an announcement was issued to the media about the appointment.”
Eisenkot then appeared to direct responsibility toward Netanyahu without naming him explicitly.
“Check who the prime minister was,” he said. “The same prime minister who came to the Bar Noar. There is a problem.”
Bar Noar was a Tel Aviv LGBTQ youth center where two people were killed in a 2009 shooting. Netanyahu visited the site after the attack.
Sharon Afek
(Photo: Dana Kopel)
Eisenkot said he and Ya’alon ultimately agreed that Afek was an outstanding choice and proceeded with the appointment.
“We agreed between ourselves that there was no problem, that he was an excellent appointment, and that is exactly what he proved to be,” he said.
Likud rejected Eisenkot’s account and pointed to Netanyahu’s support for openly gay politician Amir Ohana, who has served as Knesset speaker and in several senior Cabinet posts.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is the one who brought about Amir Ohana’s appointment as Knesset speaker, where he arrived because of his abilities and the support of voters, not as a fig leaf,” the party said.
Likud also accused Eisenkot of making politically motivated allegations.
“Eisenkot is in a panic, giving interview after interview and saying something foolish in each one to conceal the fact that the only coalition available to him is with Yair Golan and the Arab parties,” the statement said.
Afek currently serves as a deputy attorney general and heads the Justice Ministry’s legislation and legal counsel division. He succeeded Raz Nizri in the post.