The Military Secretary to the Prime Minister (Hebrew: המזכיר הצבאי של ראש הממשלה, HaMazkir HaTzva'i Shel Rosh HaMemshala), is the senior military adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel on military and national security issues. As a member of the Military Staff, the position is privy to most products of the Israeli Intelligence Community. The position's current incumbent is Major General Avi Gil.
| Military Secretary of to the Prime Minister | |
|---|---|
| המזכיר הצבאי לראש הממשלה | |
 | |
 Incumbent since 16 May 2024Brigadier General Roman Gofman | |
 Israeli Ground Forces | |
| Member of |
|
| Reports to | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | Prime Minister by recommend of Chief of the General Staff |
| Formation | 17 March 1948 |
| First holder | Nehemiah Argov |
History
editEarlier Military Secretaries held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Hebrew: סגן אלוף). In later years, Major-General's (Hebrew: אלוף) and Brigadier Generals (Hebrew: תת-אלוף) have served in the position.
Position's influence
editIt has been suggested that the raising of status of the Military Secretary has resulted in military considerations unduly weighing upon Israel's national security policy at the expense of other considerations. It has been additionally suggested [by whom?] that to remedy this, the position of Military Secretary ought to be held by a lower rank. Critics of this view have suggested that the Military Secretary's influence follows that of other positions, namely, the National Security Council and the National Security Advisor.[1]
List of Military Secretaries
edit| Name | Tenure | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lt. Colonel Nehemiah Argov | 1948–1957 | Did not serve in 1954–55[citation needed] | |
| Maj. General Chaim Ben-David | 1957–1963 | ||
| Brig. General Yisrael Lior | 1963–1974 | ||
| Brig. General Efraim Poran | 1974–1981 | ||
| Brig. General Azriel Nevo | 1981–1993 | ||
| Maj. General Danny Yatom | 1993–1996 | ||
| Maj. General Zeev Livne | 1996–1997 | ||
| Maj. General Gadi Eisenkot | 1999–2001 | ||
| Maj. General Moshe Kaplinsky | 2001–2002 | ||
| Maj. General Yoav Gallant | 2002–2005 | ||
| Maj. General Gadi Shamni | 2005–2007 | ||
| Maj. General Meir Kalifi | 2007–2009 | ||
| Maj. General Yohanan Locker | 2010–2012 | [2] | |
| Maj. General Eyal Zamir | 2012–2015 | ||
| Brigadier General Eliezer Toledano | 2015–2018 | [3] | |
| Brigadier General Avi Bluth | 2018–2021 | [4] | |
| Maj. General Avi Gil | 2021–2024 |
See also
edit- Director of National Intelligence, the equivalent in the United States
References
edit- ^ Haviv Rettig Gur (6 January 2014). "Inside Israel's White House: How Netanyahu runs the country". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ IAF Brig.-Gen. Yohanan Locker announced as PM's new military secretary[permanent dead link], Jerusalem Post, 24 December 2009
- ^ Zeyton, Yoav (14 August 2015). "אליעזר טולדנו מונה למזכיר הצבאי של ראש הממשלה ויעלה לדרגת תת-אלוף" [Eliezer Toledano was appointed the Prime Minister's military secretary and will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ Ahronheim, Anna (17 July 2018). "Netanyahu appoints Col. Avi Blot as new military secretary". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 October 2023.