Kochavi says IOF won’t answer to Smotrich, Ben-Gvir: Israeli media

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Outgoing Israeli occupation military chief of staff, Aviv Kohavi, has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, and other senior politicians that the Israeli occupation military will not be answerable in any way to ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli media reported.

On Thursday, Israeli Channel 12 news said Kohavi considers giving the responsibility of handling the Israeli occupation military to any minister other than the Israeli Security Minister as an unacceptable breach of the military chain of command.

According to Israeli media, Kohavi also regards any requirement for the chief of staff to report to anyone other than the Security minister as a breach of a law that states that the Israeli Security Minister is in charge of the military on behalf of the government.

"The chief of staff will not work with any additional minister, under any circumstances," other than the Security Minister, Channel 12 news quoted Kohavi as telling Netanyahu and others.

This comes two weeks after Kohavi, who steps down as Israeli occupation military chief of staff on January 16 and is succeeded by Herzi Halevi, held a tense telephone conversation with Netanyahu to express concern about coalition deals that provide Smotrich and Ben-Gvir with power to impact the occupation military.

It is noteworthy that Religious Zionism leader Betzalel Smotrich is now both the Finance Minister and a junior minister in the Israeli occupation Security Ministry, while Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir is the new Israeli occupation Police Minister.

According to The Times of "Israel", Smotrich’s role as a minister within the Israeli occupation Security Ministry "allows him to appoint the generals leading the hybrid civil-military Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories [COGAT] and its office overseeing many settlement issues, the Civil Administration, subject to Netanyahu’s approval." However, the major general in charge of the "COGAT" is appointed by the Israeli occupation Security Minister at the recommendation of the Israeli military chief of staff, while the brigadier general overseeing the "Civil Administration" is appointed by the Israeli military chief of staff, The Times of "Israel" explained.

As part of his role, Ben-Gvir was awarded control of the so-called "Border Police" in the West Bank, but his coalition deal states that he would be given direct control over the entire Israeli occupation "Border Police".

After the details of their phone call were leaked, an Israeli military spokesperson claimed that Netanyahu and Kohavi had agreed that decisions that are tied to the Israeli occupation military will be made only after the military presents the consequences and significance of such decisions, as per The Times of "Israel".

The Channel 12 news report also indicated that Netanyahu and Israeli occupation Security Minister Yoav Gallant encouraged Kohavi to "calm down" and assured him that cabinet decisions would be taken only after he and Halevi express their concerns.