Defense Minister Benny Gantz's decision to present his recommendation for the next IDF chief of staff in the coming days is correct and legitimate. The end of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi's tenure is fast-approaching – January 2023 – and it's best to allow his successor enough time to prepare before officially taking over.
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In an unstable strategic environment, in addition to Israel's political turmoil, the IDF is an anchor of stability that must be preserved as a national unifier. All of the candidates for the position are worthy, and none of them are politically affiliated. It is okay for the public discourse to examine the difference between the candidates in terms of the IDF's future, but it cannot, in any way, be polluted by branding them politically.
Even if the government's future is currently shrouded in mystery, this shouldn't override its duty to select the next chief of staff. It's worth remembering the damage that political considerations caused to the Israel Police, which delayed the commissioner's appointment by two years.
In choosing a chief of staff, there are, of course, clear professional criteria that must be met. Nevertheless, the appointment, rightfully so, is not free of additional considerations, such as each candidate's temperament, worldview, and overall vision for the IDF. The decision is entirely in the hands of the political echelon, which is obligated to choose a military leader in which the entire nation, and not just the government, can put its trust.
Ultimately, the process also consists of a certain element of inter-personal trust. When Ben-Gurion chose Moshe Dayan to be chief of staff, he was familiar with the more controversial aspects of his personality and knew how and why he was most suited to lead the army against the challenges of the time. When then-Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann chose Rafael Eitan as chief of staff, he preferred him over Maj. Gen. Herzl Shafir, who was extremely qualified for the position in his own right.
Unlike a conductor steering a train on a fixed track, a chief of staff personally molds the tracks to fit the challenges of the time. In this regard, we can explain how the IDF under Shafir, had he been appointed, would have taken the IDF down several different tracks than those chosen by Eitan. Questions about the nature of these differences need to be deeply examined during the political echelon's decision-making process. And yet, although the choice is made by the political leadership, the chief of staff must enter his role free and clear of any political affiliations.
At the end of the process, just one of the three candidates, each of which is qualified for the position in his own way, will be everyone's chief of staff. In Israel, no job is more demanding and critical than the chief of staff, and no job is more uniting and stately, and this is precisely where the defense minister and government should aim.
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