New IDF chief Eyal Zamir makes swift command changes merely hours after his swearing in.
New IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir wasted no time changing the face of the IDF high command, making two key appointments Wednesday night, only hours after taking office.
Zamir will replace IDF Southern Command Chief Yaron Finkelman with Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor, who outgoing IDF chief Herzi Halevi had passed over for promotion after he finished a term as the commander of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate.
Zamir makes replaces quickly
Asor promoted integrating the haredim (ultra-Orthodox) into the military but with a more patient approach than many other officers, which helped him gain support from members of the coalition.
Finkelman announced his resignation on January 21, but it will not go into effect until sometime next week.All IDF parties involved wanted to let Zamir pick Finkelman’s replacement once he took office.
Also, IDF Operations Directorate chief Oded Basiuk, the outgoing IDF chief’s right-hand man, will be replaced by Brig.-Gen. Itzik Cohen, who commanded Division 162 in Gaza for most of the war. Cohen will be promoted to major-general.
Basiuk offered his immediate resignation earlier this week, but Zamir preferred he stay on for a number of months to get Cohen up to speed.