Quality Government Watchdogs: Delay COS Appointment Until After Committee Findings Made Public

Gov’t Group: Delay IDF Chief Appointment

The Movement for Quality Government filed a petition Monday with the High Court of Justice calling for a delay in the appointment of Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi as the IDF’s 19th chief of General Staff until after the Winograd Committee publishes its interim conclusions at the beginning of February.

“There is no way a recommendation can be submitted in which both the appointing members from the political echelon and the candidates could be included in [the committee’s conclusions],” the petition said.

Background:
Peretz chooses Ashkenazi as IDF Head

On Sunday evening, Defense Minister Amir Peretz recommended that Ashkenazi become the next chief of General Staff. The recommendation must now be approved by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the cabinet.

Reactions were mixed following Peretz’s decision, with some criticizing the selection process and others celebrating the decision.

Former chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud), called the selection process a sham and said the decision was an embarrassment to Israel.

“This was not a series of consultations,” Steinitz claimed. “It was a festival of false conferences and fictitious candidates. A festival such as this has never occurred in the history of the state.”

Others, like Brig.-Gen. (res.) Giora Inbar, a former IDF commander in south Lebanon, agreed with Steinitz, but were nonetheless satisfied with the final decision.

“The best combination would be Ashkenazi as chief of General Staff, and Kaplinsky as his deputy,” Inbar said, but added that it would have been better to wait until after the Winograd Committee published its findings.

IDF sources said Kaplinsky had submitted a letter to Peretz and Olmert before the announcement of Ashkenazi’s appointment, citing concerns that the Winograd Committee would find him responsible for some of the failures of the Lebanon war and dropping his candidacy.

Meanwhile, Gen. (res.) Ya’acov Amidror expressed his complete support for Ashkenazi as head of the IDF, but called on Kaplinsky to remain in the army.

“Kaplinsky will offer the most to the army if he remains deputy to the chief of General Staff,” Amidror said. “The best addition to the army would be Gabi as chief of General Staff and Kaplinsky as deputy.”

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