IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is pushing to postpone the permanent appointment of the head of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria until after the next elections, according to a report by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio). He is promoting Brig. Gen. (res.) Fares Atila as acting replacement. Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees the Civil Administration, objects and supports Brig. Gen. Yogev Bar Sheshet for the role.
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is seeking to postpone the permanent appointment of the head of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria until after the upcoming elections, according to a report by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio). The report, published in the morning journal on Galatz, details a behind-the-scenes struggle over one of the most sensitive security appointments in the IDF.
Zamir is promoting Brig. Gen. (res.) Fares Atila, a former head of the Civil Administration, as a temporary acting replacement. Atila has been serving in a fill-in capacity for several weeks since the position fell vacant. The chief of staff believes that a permanent appointment should be made by the next government, not the current transitional one.
Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who holds direct oversight over the Civil Administration, strongly opposes Atila's acting appointment. Smotrich argues that Atila represents the 'old' Civil Administration before the reforms Smotrich implemented in Judea and Samaria. Smotrich is backing Brig. Gen. Yogev Bar Sheshet, a former deputy head of the Civil Administration who recently served as deputy Ombudsman for the defense establishment and was wounded in Gaza. Bar Sheshet had already been cleared by Zamir for a different role, but Smotrich prefers him for the Civil Administration.
A potential compromise candidate has emerged: Brig. Gen. Eliaad Moati, whose promotion was previously blocked by Defense Minister Israel Katz due to his role as commander of the Border Protection Corps on October 7. If Katz lifts his veto, Moati could become the agreed-upon candidate.
The Civil Administration is the Israeli military body overseeing civilian affairs for Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, and its head is a key position in managing the territory. The appointment has become a point of contention between the military and the political echelon.
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