IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir on Sunday publicly urged the swift appointment of outgoing IDF Planning Directorate chief V.-Adm. Eyal Harel as the next navy chief, increasing pressure on Defense Minister Israel Katz, who has stalled several senior appointments for months.
Current IDF Navy Chief V.-Adm. David Saar Salama, who has been in office since September 2021, is looking to step down in the coming months.
Zamir and sources close to him have hinted to The Jerusalem Post and other media for months that Harel was his pick to replace Saar Salama, and that he had simply refrained from making this public to avoid an open break with Katz, who was holding it up.
The defense minister has been holding up three General Staff changes: the next IDF navy chief, the next IDF air force chief, and the next permanent IDF defense attaché in Washington.
The prior defense attaché, Maj.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman left his post months ago to start transition training to replace Harel.
Zamir: Hopes that Harel will become next navy chief 'very soon'
Speaking at the ceremony marking the change of leadership at the IDF Planning Directorate, Zamir said he hoped Harel’s nomination as navy chief would be approved “very soon,” saying he was clearly the most qualified candidate for the job.
If the appointment remains stalled, Harel will remain without a new post, or Zamir may eventually have to offer him a different role.
But after months of trying to avoid confrontation with Katz, Zamir has been taking a harder tone, sometimes forcing the defense minister into decisions, lest he face additional public conflict.
Katz’s refusal to approve Zamir’s nominees is at least partially connected to the IDF chief’s refusal to name his own military secretary, Brig.-Gen. Guy Markizano, as Zilberman’s replacement as the IDF’s top representative in Washington.
Zamir wants R.-Adm. Tal Politis to take up the US defense attaché post. Politis has served as the deputy head of the navy and as the commander of the naval commando unit, Shayetet 13.
Katz has not publicized anything specific he has against Politis, but wants Markizano.
Earlier in Zamir’s term, he allowed Katz to dictate a few significant IDF General Staff appointments, but he has decided to draw a line in the sand over these three appointments.
Zamir’s speech was widely seen as an attempt to put Katz on the spot to explain to the public why he is stalling such a distinguished officer from taking over the helm of the navy.
On one hand, Zamir has had some recent success, succeeding in getting Katz to approve dozens of brigadier-general, colonel, and lieutenant-colonel-level appointments.
On the other hand, Katz has not allowed Politis to take office, leading Zamir to appoint Brig.-Gen. Arik Ben-Dov was appointed as the military’s acting defense attaché to the US on December 10, replacing Zilberman until a compromise might be reached on a permanent replacement.
Also, Katz is still holding up Brig.-Gen. Omer Tishler from replacing the current Air Force Chief Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar.