As the new Zionist government will be sworn-in soon, the occupation army chief Aviv Kochavi warned against the transfer of power from the military to the far-right ministers.
Outgoing Kohavi expressed concerns to incoming PM Benjamin Netanyahu over coalition demands that touch on military authority, according to the Zionist media.
The phone call last week underlined the alarm in a number of Israeli institutions regarding planned reforms by Netanyahu and his coalition partners when they take power.
The Israeli occupation army confirmed the talks took place following leaks published Monday by Hebrew-language media, which said that Kochavi initiated the conversation with Netanyahu on Thursday.
“During the conversation, it was agreed upon that decisions that are tied to the IOF will be made only after the IOF presents the consequences and significance of such decisions,” a military spokesperson said in a statement.
The concerns reportedly raised by Kochavi in the call included a plan to provide Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich with a new independent office as a minister within the Defense Ministry to oversee areas of the West Bank fully controlled by Israel, known as Area C.
Netanyahu’s Likud is set to form a government with far-right Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, and Noam, as well as his long-time ultra-Orthodox partners, Shas and UTJ, which together won 64 seats in the 120-seat Knesset in November’s election.
Under the terms of draft coalition agreements, Smotrich’s role as a minister within the Defense Ministry will allow him to appoint the generals leading the hybrid civil-military Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories and its office overseeing many settlement issues, the Civil Administration, subject to Netanyahu’s approval.
Over 1,000 senior Israeli air force veterans, including a former Israeli chief of staff, on Monday urged the country’s top legal officials to stand tough against the incoming government.
In a letter to the chief of Israel’s Supreme Court and other top officials, they said the alliance of religious and ultranationalist parties threatens Israel’s future. The letter was delivered days before the new government is to take office.
Zionist media also voiced concerns about an international campaign aimed at boycotting ‘Israel’ ruled by the far-right coalition, due to the expected performance of the new government.
Source: Websites
