IDF intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva will be stepping down from his role real within weeks, The Jerusalem Post has learned from IDF sources.
Haliva announced his resignation back in April. By early May, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi announced his replacement: number two in IDF Operations Command, Shlomi Binder.
At the time, the Post was told by sources that the Haliva-Binder swap would take some time but should be completed by around mid-June.
This was also at a time when the IDF projected publishing its first October 7 probes in mid-June.
However, swapping the officials has drawn out longer, as have the October 7 probes, which in the end were a month late.
Subsequently, there were possible indications of fighting between Haliva and Binder over control of the conclusions of the October 7 probe. It was unclear if this was actually drawing out Haliva’s time in the IDF.
Dropping personal blame on Haliva
This fighting might have also overlapped between Haliva and Halevi.
The logic was that Haliva would of course want to preserve his legacy as much as possible, and so place the blame on missing Hamas’s invasion on the entire system, for ten years for believing Hamas was deterred and could be contained.
Halevi may be more ready to drop more personal blame on Haliva – which incidentally might lead to less blame placed on him and his own legacy.
The IDF had stridently denied indications about this infighting, but the continued delay in Haliva’s resignation and Binder taking up his new role gave fodder to the allegations.
Reports have circulated that Binder may have played a larger role in the IDF’s October 7 failure as number two in the IDF Operations Command; Halevi needs to consider whether Binder can still get the top intelligence job.
So far, Halevi has stayed loyal to Binder in public, but until Monday, the ongoing delay of Binder taking on his role raised some red flags.
However, with a clearer deadline of mere weeks for Binder to enter his role and Haliva to step down, much of the intrigue surrounding their relations and who controls the October 7 probe may subside.
Sources have told the Post that even though Binder was appointed, a string of other appointments – such as Yisrael Shomer as a replacement for Binder, and roles being filled in down the chain of command – drew out much longer than early May, delaying Binder.