Herzi Halevi

The Chief of the General Staff position originated with the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces in 1948. It is the highest-ranking military position in the IDF.

Herzi Halevi, a paratrooper and military leader, was born in Jerusalem on December 17, 1967. He was named after his uncle who died in the Six-Day War. Halevi's family has roots in Russia and Jerusalem.

During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, former Chief of the General Staff Haim Bar-Lev was brought out of retirement to serve as chief of Southern Command alongside Chief of the General Staff David Elazar.

In 1985, he was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces.

In 1987, he was promoted to the position of a platoon leader within the Paratroopers Brigade.

During the second Palestinian intifada in 2002, General Halevi expressed concerns about a planned operation to capture Yasir Arafat, the president of the Palestinian Authority. His objections led to the cancellation of the operation, which was supposed to take place in Ramallah where Arafat was under siege.

In 2007, Defense Minister Amir Peretz appointed Major General Gabi Ashkenazi as Chief of the General Staff for a period of four years, aiming to avoid uncertainties regarding term extensions.

In September 2009, Herzi Halevi was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and appointed commander of the Operational Division in the Military Intelligence Directorate, serving until October 2011.

On 6 November 2011, Herzi Halevi was appointed as the commander of the 91st Division.

In December 2012, the division led by Herzi Halevi won the Chief of Staff's award for outstanding units.

A nearly decade-old interview mentioned that Herzi Halevi was seen as a leading contender to eventually become the chief of staff of the military.

In September 2014, Herzi Halevi was promoted to the rank of Major General and appointed chief of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate.

In March 2018, Herzi Halevi became the commander of Israel's Southern Command, overseeing the IDF's activity around the Gaza Strip.

In November 2019, Herzi Halevi commanded the IDF's Southern Command forces in Operation Black Belt against Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) following the targeted killing of senior PIJ commander in Gaza.

On October 1, 2020, The Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies was established, focusing on Multi-Domain Defense strategies under the leadership of Herzi Halevi.

On Monday, Halevi was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces, succeeding Aviv Kochavi. He is the 23rd military officer to lead the IDF and the first one born after the 1967 Six-Day War.

On 11 July 2021, Herzi Halevi was appointed the deputy chief of staff.

Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, a Jewish settler, has been appointed as the chief of staff of Israel's military. This marks the first time a settler will hold this position, further solidifying the close relationship between the military and Jewish settlers in the West Bank.

Herzi Halevi, a Jewish West Bank settler, is set to become the chief of staff of Israel's military, marking the first time a settler will hold this position. His appointment signifies the evolution of the settler movement into a significant and diverse force within Israeli society.

On 4 September 2022, Herzi Halevi was nominated as the incoming chief of staff by the defense minister, Benny Gantz.

The 36th Israeli government confirmed Herzi Halevi's appointment as the next Chief of Staff on 23 October 2022.

Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi took over as the 23rd commander of the Israel Defense Forces and pledged to maintain the apolitical nature of the IDF.

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi took on the role of Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces in January 2023. He faced challenges within the army due to divisions over proposed reforms to the country's Supreme Court. He is currently leading an offensive against Hamas in Gaza.