TEL AVIV— Israel's military has reshuffled its senior command in
the first step toward a combat doctrine that stresses air power.
Nine days after he entered the post, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Helutz
named new commanders for many of the positions on the General Staff, Middle East Newsline reported. The appointees
included the chiefs of regional commands as well as military intelligence.
Helutz, the first Israeli military chief to come from the air force,
appointed a former service colleague, Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, to command
military intelligence.
Yadlin, who serves as Israel's military attache in
the United States, replaced Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash. It was the first
time an air force officer was appointed military intelligence chief.
Military sources said most of the changes would take place in September
or October 2005, after the completion of Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza
Strip and northern West Bank. They said Helutz has authorized several of the
new commanders to redefine the role of their units.
Military sources said Helutz obtained permission from Defense Minister
Shaul Mofaz to appoint other air force officers to key posts to facilitate
the launch of a new combat doctrine meant to stress air power. Brig. Gen.
Ido Nechustan, air force chief of staff, was expected to be promoted to the
rank of major general.
"The key here will be to combine intelligence and air power for all
combat missions," a military source said. "Under this doctrine, the ground
forces will be reduced to a supporting role."
Helutz replaced the head of the Ground Forces Command, Maj. Gen. Yiftah
Ron-Tal, with Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz. The sources said
that under Gantz, the authority of the Ground Forces Command would be
expanded. Ron-Tal was expected to retire from the military.
The new chief of Northern Command was identified as Maj. Gen. Udi
Adam, head of the Technology and Logistics Directorate. Brig. Gen. Avi
Mizrahi was appointed the new chief of the directorate.
Brig. Gen. Yoav Galant, military secretary of Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon, was appointed head of Southern Command. The current head of Southern
Command, Maj. Gen. Dan Harel, was expected to retire after the Israeli
withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Helutz also replaced the head of the newly-established Operations
Directorate. Brig. Gen. Gadi Eisencot was appointed to succeed Maj. Gen.
Yisrael Ziv.