Netanyahu, Katz pressuring Halevi to resign: Reports
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Security Minister Israel Katz seek to establish that the latter is the leading figure in the military establishment.
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Israeli Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in occupied al-Quds, occupied Palestine, Sunday, October 27, 2024. (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Israel Katz are pressuring Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi to resign, as they lack the courage to dismiss him directly, Israeli Channel 12 reported on Wednesday.
Journalist Liel Dafna revealed to the channel that "Netanyahu has long been dissatisfied with Daniel Hagari as the spokesperson for the Israeli army and now seeks to remove the Chief of Staff as well."
Dafna added that the two leaders are "searching for ways to pressure them to resign voluntarily since they do not have the courage to fire them outright."
Military analyst Nir Dvori commented on the escalating tensions between Halevi and Katz, stating, "There is a behind-the-scenes conflict that has surfaced publicly, reflecting an attempt to assert who the new leader of the security establishment is," namely, the security minister.
Dvori criticized these developments as "highly detrimental to Israel and inappropriate at this time," describing the situation as "a loss of reason." He questioned, "Where is the prudence and responsibility?"
In November, the Israeli Kan public broadcaster reported that the political leadership in the occupation entity desired to see Halevi removed from his position soon.
Kan indicated that Netanyahu and Katz aimed for Halevi’s resignation following the war on Lebanon and the publication of investigations into the events of October 7.
The channel attributed this push to three factors: the conclusion of the war in Lebanon, the forthcoming October 7 investigations, and the current government’s desire to overhaul the leadership of the security and military institutions, including replacing the chief of staff.
In a related development, Channel 14 previously reported that Halevi hinted at his intention to step down after the completion of investigations into the October 7 events.
Halevi reportedly conveyed to military leaders, "None of us intends to avoid investigating the events of October 7. We have chosen to undertake difficult investigations in the midst of war."
Resignation by February?
Anadolu Agency reported in late December that Halevi was expected to step down by the end of February.
Israeli website Maariv cited an anonymous Israeli official as saying that Halevi is estimated to "retire from his position at the end of February, one month after the investigations into the events of 7 October 2023 are concluded."
Security Minister Israel Katz said investigations into the events of October 7, 2023, must be concluded by the end of January. Katz instructed the Chief of Staff that no new generals would be appointed until the findings were presented. In light of Katz's decision, Maariv came to the conclusion that this deadline might hasten Halevi's resignation.
According to recent negotiations among "Israel's" military and political officials, Zamir, the current director-general of the Security Ministry, is the most probable candidate to succeed Halevi.
Halevi in November hinted at stepping down after the inquiry into the military's inability to respond to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is concluded.
Halevi stated that unlike in the past, the Israeli army opted to undertake rigorous debriefing sessions on October 7 while the war was ongoing. Usually, such probes are only undertaken after battles end.
While Halevi did not specify a clear date for the investigation's conclusion, the attention has shifted to the military's preparation and response with numerous Israeli military, security, and political authorities taking personal responsibility for the inability to prevent the attack.
Netanyahu has continuously refused to take personal responsibility for the incident, advocating instead for the creation of a private inquiry committee to prevent the formation of an official state commission of inquiry, according to Israel Hayom.
