Goldberg Committee confirms Maj.-Gen. Kochavi as next IDF chief of staff
Kochavi will replace current Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot in 2019.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMUpdated: NOVEMBER 21, 2018 03:40Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi (L) shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) during a meeting, October 29, 2018(photo credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO)
The Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Senior Officials in the Civil Service confirmed the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi as the next IDF Chief of Staff on Tuesday.His appointment will be brought to the cabinet for its approval on Sunday.“The prime minister, who also serves as defense minister, told the committee that he was accepting the recommendation of former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman to appoint Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi as the 22nd chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces,” read a statement released by the Committee.Netanyahu met with Kochavi in October after it was announced that he was chosen by then defense minister Liberman to replace current chief of staff Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot who is set to step down from his role at the beginning of 2019, after serving close to four years as the IDF’s top officer.“I would like to thank the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee for approving the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi as the 22nd IDF Chief of Staff,” Liberman said Tuesday following the announcement.“Maj.-Gen. Kochavi has extensive operational and command experience, and has integrity and strong moral values. My choice of him as Chief of Staff was natural, and I am sure he is the most appropriate and worthy person to lead the IDF at this time,” he added.Born in 1964, Kochavi enlisted in the Paratroopers Brigade in 1982 and has served in multiple command roles throughout his career.He served Eastern Division Commander of the Lebanon Liaison Unit (1998-1999) and Commander of the Paratrooper Brigade (2001-2003) where he commanded troops against troops against Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank during the Second Intifada. He also commanded the IDF’s elite airborne division before serving as commander of the Gaza Division from 2004-2006.He has held several key positions in the General Staff, commanding the Operations Division, Head of Military Intelligence (2010-2014), Head of the Northern Command, and then as Deputy Chief of Staff under Eisenkot.
Kochavi has a BA in philosophy from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an MA in public administration from Harvard University in Cambridge, and an MA from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.The selection process, which is based on recommendations by the military advocate general, consists of six stages with the Defense Minister consulting with current chief of staff and former senior officials including prime ministers, defense ministers, and chiefs of staff.By law, candidates for senior positions like the chief of staff must be vetted by the appointments advisory committee, also known as the Goldberg Committee, to ensure they meet all the requirements and are qualified to serve.
