Gov't to authorize new chief of staff appointment next week.
By JPOST.COM STAFFyoav galant 224.88(photo credit: IDF)IDF Chief-of-Staff Gabi Ashkenazi called OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant on Sunday to congratulate him on Defense Minister Ehud Barak's recommendation to appoint him as the IDF's 20th chief of staff.Ashkenazi offered Galant his full support, according to an IDF Spokesperson's Unit statement.RELATED:Who is Yoav Galant?MKs praise Galant, slam Barak's timing<Analysis: Barak shows who’s bossAshkenazi on Galant affair: Great damage done to IDFAshkenazi also called the other candidates for the position to ask them to continue to work for the benefit of the IDF and their country.After the defense minister's announcement, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised both Barak and Galant, saying: "This is the correct choice, that will return stability to the army."The defense minister finished interviewing the candidates for the job - Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz, OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi, and the IDF's attaché in Washington DC Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni - a few days ago. Barak requested that all of them remain in the IDF."Galant is an experienced officer with varied operational experience, leadership skills and the ability to lead the IDF in the challenges it and the State of Israel face," Barak said.Galant's appointment is expected to be approved by the government next week.Galant has not been implicated in the "Galant Document" scandal, in which a forged press release claimed that the general planned a smear campaign against the current IDF chief of staff and other high-ranking officers in order to improve his chances of being appointed as Ashkenazi's replacementEarlieron Sunday, meanwhile, Army Radio reported that Ashkenazi has a close relationship with Lt.-Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz, who is suspected of forging the "Galant Document."
Accordingto reports, Harpaz was a young officer when Ashkenazi was the commander of the Golani brigade, and the two maintained a friendship since then. The chief of staff also testified in Harpaz's favor when he was suspected of damaging information security when he served in Army Intelligence. Harpaz was thrown out of intelligence due to the suspicions.
