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- Israel's Kohavi says no far-right military interference - report
Israel's Kohavi says no far-right military interference - report
Bezalel Smotrich will have the power to appoint the heads of COGAT and the Israeli Civil Administration
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Israel's military chief of staff Aviv Kohavi reportedly said on Monday that he would not allow political interference when it comes to the appointment of senior army officials.
This comes amid coalition agreements between prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of the Religious Zionism party Bezalel Smotrich. According to a partial coalition agreement published Monday, the far-right politician has received considerable authority over the Israeli government's civilian activities in the West Bank.
Smotrich will have the power to appoint the heads of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and of the Israeli Civil Administration, responsible for the government's civil policy in the West Bank. The Chief of Staff usually attributes these posts with the defense minister's approval.
Channel 13 reported that, during closed conversations, Kohavi said: "I won’t allow any interference in the appointment of Israeli military generals. There is no possibility of this happening."
According to other reports, chief of staff-designate Herzl Halevi agrees with Kohavi's position on the matter. Halevi is set to take over Kohavi's position next month.
The Israeli channel also quoted a senior defense official, who warned that Smotrich taking on these roles would "break the chain of command and create anarchy.”
“It can’t be that a minister who is not defense minister appoints the head of the Civil Administration."