Deputy Chief of General Staff Major-General Moshe "Boogie" Ya'alon is to be the next head of the Israeli army.
Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer's office announced Wednesday that Ya'alon, aged 52, was chosen amongst four candidates as the replacement for current Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Shaul Mofaz, who ends his four-year term this July.
Ben-Eliezer will bring his recommendation to the Israeli Cabinet for approval in the next few days. The decision, according to the Jerusalem Post daily, was expected and is due not to cause serious reverberations within the Israeli army.
Ya'alon took over from Major-General Uzi Dayan as deputy chief of general staff two years ago.
Ya'alon had previously served as commander of an elite unit, the Paratrooper Brigade commander, OC Central Command, and head of the Army's intelligence wing.
According to the report, Mofaz supports the nomination of Ya'alon as his replacement.
Preliminary nominees to the post of army chief included Ya'alon, OC Air Force Major-General Dan Halutz, National Security Adviser Major-General Uzi Dayan, and former OC Intelligence Major-General Amos Malka. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
