Israel Cabinet Approves Gantz As IDF Chief of Staff, Welcomes Egypt Military Pledge to Honor Peace Treaties

IDF Chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz

By Israel News Agency Staff

Jerusalem, Israel ---- February 13, 2011 ...... Part of the following was communicated by the Israel Cabinet Secretariat to the Israel News Agency.

At the weekly Israel Cabinet meeting held in Jerusalem today Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the following remarks:

"Today, we will submit for Cabinet approval the appointment of IDF Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz as the next Chief-of-Staff of the State of Israel. He is an outstanding officer and an experienced commander. Maj.-Gen. Gantz has considerable operational and organizational experience. He has all the necessary qualities to be an outstanding commander of the IDF. This appointment will enhance the stability of the IDF, which is always important, but is especially important at this time of deep shocks in our region."

Netanyahu added: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lt.-Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi, who is concluding his outstanding term as Chief-of-Staff. We congratulate him on his achievements and wish him success in the future."

In regards to the situation in Egypt, Netanyahu said: "Egypt President Hosni Mubarak resigned over the weekend and left Cairo. The Government of Israel welcomes the Egyptian military statement that Egypt will continue to honor its peace agreement with Israel. The peace agreement with Israel has stood for many years. During this period, all Egyptian governments have upheld and advanced it and we believe that it is the cornerstone of peace and stability, not only between the two countries, but in the entire Middle East as well."

Pursuant to Article 3(c) of Israel Basic Law: the IDF and in accordance with the recommendation of Israel Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the Israel Cabinet decided to appoint Maj.-Gen. Binyamin (Benny) Gantz as the Chief-of-Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, effective tomorrow Monday, 14.2.11.

Lt.-Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi will conclude his term as IDF Chief-of-Staff upon Maj.-Gen. Gantz's entry into office.

The IDF Chief-of-Staff serves for three years. In special circumstances, the Israel Cabinet is entitled to extend the term for an additional period, not to exceed one year.

The Israel Cabinet approved a comprehensive multi-year (2011-2014), approximately NIS 680 million plan to strengthen Druze and Circassian communities.

Israel Science and Technology Minister Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz and Science and Technology Ministry Director-General Menachem Greenbloom briefed the Israel Cabinet on the activities of the Ministry in 2010-2011.

Lt.-Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi grew up in Hagor, a moshav, or cooperative agricultural community in the Sharon region of central Israel. Ashkenazi completed high school at a military boarding school affiliated with the prestigious Gymnasia Herzliya in Tel Aviv. His roommates included Yigal Schwartz, a major figure in Israeli literature, and Yoav Toker, a Paris-based broadcast journalist.

Ashkenazi was drafted into Israel's Golani Brigade in 1972, Ashkenazi first saw action in the Sinai Peninsula during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. In July 1976 Ashkenazi was a platoon commander in the force that carried out Operation Thunderbolt, a mission to rescue hostages held in Uganda.] Ashkenazi's first of many experiences in Lebanon came in 1978 during Operation Litani. Ashkenazi was wounded in the fighting and left the IDF before being asked to return as a battalion commander two years later.

During the 1982 Lebanon War, Ashkenazi served as IDF Deputy Commander of the Golani Brigade and commanded the forces which captured Beaufort Castle, and the towns of Nabatieh and Jabel Baruch. Promoted to Commander of the Golani in 1987, Ashkenazi was reportedly popular with his brigade's combat soldiers during his nearly two-year tenure in that post.

In 1988, Ashkenazi was appointed head of Intelligence for Israel Northern Command. He commanded a reserve armor division in the early 1990s and later worked as the chief of Israel's civil administration in Lebanon, and in 1994 was promoted to chief of the General Staff's Operations Directorate. In 1998, Ashkenazi was appointed head of the Israeli Northern Command, a position that would make him responsible for Israel's withdrawal from its Security Zone in Southern Lebanon, ending Israel's 18 year presence in the country. Ashkenazi criticized the withdrawal, believing that it should have been accompanied by negotiations with Syria.

Israel Defense Minister Amir Peretz brought Ashkenazi back to the military to serve as the Ministry of Defense's Director-General. In this position, Ashkenazi became the relatively inexperienced Minister's "right hand man" during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict and, according to Ynetnews, proved to be "much more proficient" than his boss.

Ynetnews attributes Peretz's decision to promote Ashkenazi to Chief of Staff to the two men's successful working relationship during the Lebanon war.

Ashkenazi became the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces on 14 February 2007.

At the end of February 2008, Ashkenazi commanded Operation Hot Winter during which the IDF fought terrorist organizations in Gaza for two days. The fighting ended in an truce agreement between Israel and Hamas. At the end of 2008 and in early 2009 Ashkenazi commanded also Operation Cast Lead during which the IDF fought again against the terrorist organizations in Gaza, headed by the Hamas. In the eyes of many Israelis and military commentators, IDF conduct in the operation, which resulted in a hard blow to Hamas (including at least 700 Hamas operatives dead, but also a large number of civilian deaths) and a very low number of Israeli casualties, proved that the IDF has learned the lessons from the Second Lebanon War and regained its reputation and deterrence against Israel's enemies.

Ashkenazi studied at the Tel Aviv Junior Command Preparatory School and the U.S. Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He also holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Haifa and is a graduate of a Harvard Business School program in management for senior executives.
Gabi Ashkenazi's brother, Brigadier General Avi Ashkenazi, was appointed head of the IDF's Staff and Command School in September, 2006.

The new IDF Chief of Staff Rav Aluf Benjamin "Benny" Gantz was born 1959 in Kfar Ahim is a general in the Israel Defense Forces and former Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Following the canceled appointment of previous nominee Aluf Yoav Galant, Israel Defense Minister Rav Aluf (ret.) Ehud Barak announced on 5 February 2011 that he will be recommending to the government that Gantz be appointed the 20th Chief of the General Staff (after the approval by the Turkel Advisory Committee on Senior Appointments and the vote of the government). On 13 February 2011 after a government meeting, the Israel government unanimously approved Gantz appointment to be the 20th IDF chief of staff.

Born in Israel, Gantz was drafted into the IDF in 1977. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade, and in 1979 became an officer after completing officer's training school. During his career Gantz has served in a number of different roles, including: Commander of the elite Shaldag Unit in the Israel Air Force, Commander of the Paratrooper Brigade, Commander of the Reserves Division in the Northern Command, Commander of the Lebanon Liaison Unit, Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division in 2000, before becoming the Commander of the Israel Northern Command in 2001, and as Israel's military attaché in the US from 2005 until 2009 before reaching his current position.

General Gantz has received a number of degrees during his military service. He is a graduate of the IDF Command and Headquarters College and the National Security College. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in History from Tel Aviv University, a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Haifa, and an additional Master's Degree in National Resources Management from the National Defense University in the United States.

The Israel News Agency sincerely thanks IDF Lt.-Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi for providing dedicated and successful service to the IDF which serves as an inspiration for all who follow in his foot steps and wishes IDF General Gantz the very best of success in his new position. May General Gantz go from strength to strength.

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