Israel’s defense minister says the country’s military chief of staff will step down early next year. Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi will complete his four-year term in February. Israel’s military chief often remains in his post for an additional year, but Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement Tuesday that Ashkenazi will not stay on. Barak himself is a former military chief of staff.Ashkenazi took command of Israel’s armed forces after the resignation of Lt. Gen. Dan Chalutz, who was partly blamed for Israel’s perceived military failure in its 2006 war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah guerrillas.
The statement said Barak informed Ashkenazi of his decision, and the minister praised Ashkenazi for his “actions to build the strength of the Israeli military.”
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel/eTaiwanNews}
