Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich undoubtedly has his hands full. With Israel’s economy at a precarious point amid wartime challenges and anxiety, one wonders how, or why, he has the time to get involved in the IDF's internal matters.
The latest example of the National Union/Tkuma leader overstepping his mandate is his inappropriate public campaign to block IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi from making more military appointments.
Smotrich argued on Sunday that “the current IDF high command failed in a colossal way on October 7 and cannot design the future generation of the IDF or appoint the commanders who will fix things,” adding that the government and public support the current IDF leadership to manage the war and win. “That, but nothing more,” he said.
Halevi's incoming IDF appointments stirring Smotrich
Smotrich is perturbed that earlier this month, Halevi announced the first list of senior appointments in the military since the Gaza war began, including three new brigadier generals, 11 new colonels, and 26 colonels who are staying at the same rank but moving positions.
That came against the backdrop of newly right-wing cause celebre Brig.-Gen. Barak Hiram, the commander of the IDF’s 99th Division, being formally censured for the demolition of a university in the Gaza Strip earlier this year without authorization.
As The Post’s Yonah Jeremy Bob wrote on Sunday, Smotrich and others who are pushing for a much more aggressive approach to fighting Hamas in Gaza, view the Hiram’ criticism as an exposure of the IDF top echelons’ weakness, which led to the October 7 security disaster.
Whether that argument has merit – Halevi has accepted responsibility for what happened on October 7 – the fact is that he still holds the position of chief of the general staff of Israel’s military. And until the time when he resigns or is forced to step down, Halevi must retain the authority to make appointments that are vital to the continued functioning of the army.
Military sources said that neither the round of appointments made a couple of weeks ago nor an impending new round of appointments will pertain to any officers at the rank of major-general, which makes up the IDF high command and the officers who run whole swaths of the army. Major-generals run the northern, southern, and central commands, the air force, navy, and the logistics, strategy, planning, and human resources commands.
Keeping with IDF preparedness
Halevi, who is expected to step down sometime after the military issues an interim report in June on the October 7 failures, is committed to letting his replacement make appointments at the major-general level. Bob reported that IDF sources said the key would be making necessary appointments to avoid losing the IDF’s effectiveness in the near term while avoiding appointments in controversial commands or at higher levels, which could restrict whoever succeeds Halevi, assuming he resigns.
According to Smotrich’s logic, his boss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom many think should also pay the price for October 7, can continue managing the war efforts, but he shouldn’t be allowed to direct any other facets of planning for the country’s future. That flawed logic was quickly condemned by Smotrich’s colleagues in the government as well as by members of the opposition.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attacked Smotrich, saying, “You are harming Israel’s security and undermining the security system for political reasons only. This is alarming... especially during war. I won’t allow anyone to turn the IDF into a militia serving any one official.”
Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Army Radio on Monday morning that the issue “came up in the cabinet, and the message was clearly sent that the cabinet is not getting involved in appointments in the IDF; this authority is given to the chief of staff.
“The law is clear, and the cabinet has no authority to intervene in this issue,” he said, adding that the Israeli people have faith in the IDF and its decision-makers.
Halevi also rejected Smotrich’s statements, telling reporters Sunday that IDF appointments “are made at the table of the chief of staff.”
Keeping politics out of the IDF is vital to its future success. Smotrich should keep his views on military appointments to himself and, instead, focus 100% of the time on his ministry.