Israeli defense sources said the Defense Department signaled the
government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to dismiss Yehiel Horev, the
acting director-general of the Defense Ministry.
"There were voices in the Pentagon that made it clear that they would
not deal with Horev and that a crisis would soon ensue," a defense source
said.
Voice of Israel radio reported the development last week, Middle East Newsline reported.
Horev will resign from his post
in May 2007 but remain within the ministry.
The Pentagon has identified Horev as one of several Israeli defense
officials who sought to conceal Israeli arms deals with China. The sources
said Horev was blamed by senior Pentagon officials for refusing to inform
the United States of an Israeli upgrade of the Harpy attack unmanned aerial
vehicle to China in 2004.
The Harpy project resulted in an 18-month suspension of Pentagon
cooperation with Israel on the level of senior officials. In 2005, Israel
terminated the Harpy contract and agreed to dismiss then-Defense Ministry
director-general Amos Yaron, blamed for concealing the Harpy deal from the
Pentagon.
Horev, who for more than 20 years served as the Defense Ministry's
director of security, approves the release of technology and information as
well as trips by ministry personnel and state-owned defense contractors. In
February 2007, Horev, regarded as the most powerful official in the
ministry, replaced his predecessor, Gabi Ashkenazi, who became Israel's
military chief of staff.
"You deserve a lot of appreciation and thanks from all of the people of
Israel," Defense Minister Amir Peretz told Horev during a Defense Ministry
reception on Wednesday. "What you are doing is for the benefit of the state
of Israel."
The sources said the Pentagon has not formally requested the dismissal
of Horev as director-general. But they said at least two Pentagon officials
intimated that Horev would be boycotted by the United States should his
appointment as director-general become permanent.
Horev has acknowledged Pentagon opposition to his current post. He said
he would return to his old job as security chief in May. Horev would be
replaced as director-general by Pinchas Buhris, a reserve brigadier general.
"My appointment to acting director-general wasn't appreciated by some of
the Americans," Horev said. "I hope that when I end my post, the crisis
between Israel and the United States would also end."
Over the last year, the Defense Ministry and the Pentagon have been
meeting to resolve the China crisis. Israel has agreed to consult with the
Pentagon on arms sales to a range of countries termed as U.S. adversaries.
The ministry also promised to increase transparency of arms sales.
Officials said the suspension of high-level U.S. defense relations with
Israel were still being felt. They cited difficulties in winning U.S.
approval for Israeli modifications of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as well
as delays in munitions deliveries in wake of the war against Hizbullah in
2006.
