Katz okays next heads of air force, navy after months of delay amid spat with Zamir

Defense minister says IDF’s probes and review by defense establishment comptroller show no issues affecting promotion of Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler and Vice Adm. Eyal Harel

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said he had approved the appointment of Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler as the next chief of the Israeli Air Force and Vice Adm. Eyal Harel as the next commander of the Israeli Navy.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir had sought for months to get their appointments approved, but Katz delayed making a decision amid a spat with the military chief.

Katz said in a statement that he approved the appointments after the Defense Establishment Comptroller, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Volansky, conducted “a comprehensive and thorough review” of Tischler, who had served as IAF chief of staff ahead of and on October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terror group launched its terror onslaught.

“After reviewing all the findings, he recommended approving the appointment,” Katz said.

Katz added that the military’s review of its internal October 7 probes found no issues regarding Harel, who until recently served as head of the Planning Directorate, that would affect his candidacy for the role of Navy chief.

“These are two outstanding officers who will add to the strength of the IDF in the air and at sea. I wish them great success in their roles and emphasize the importance of strengthening the IDF and its branches to ensure the security of the State of Israel in the face of the security challenges confronting it,” Katz said.

The defense minister had initially refused to approve the nominations of the next IAF and Navy chiefs, made by Zamir in early October, until his own military secretary, Brig. Gen. Guy Markizeno, is promoted to major general.

Katz has sought to nominate Markizeno as the next defense attaché to the United States. Zamir, however, does not believe Markizeno to be a good fit for the role. The role has been vacant since earlier this month, after the former defense attaché, Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, replaced Harel as Planning Directorate chief.

Last month, Zamir received the findings of an external review of the IDF’s internal October 7 probes led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman, who found that some of the initial investigations by the military were inadequate and that several topics had not been investigated at all.

Zamir then instructed various IDF units to complete their investigations, and appointed former officers to investigate topics that were not previously probed, chief among them the military’s failed handling of intelligence reports that outlined Hamas’s intent to launch a wide-scale attack against Israel.

Clashing with Zamir last month, Katz ordered the defense establishment comptroller to investigate Turgeman’s review of the internal October 7 probes within 30 days, and said he was freezing all senior promotions in the military until then.

Earlier this month, Katz seemed to backtrack from the order, scaling down the work of the defense establishment comptroller to just observing the IDF’s supplementary investigations and looking into Tischler. Katz also approved a list of colonels who were up for promotion, despite his 30-day freeze.

The new IAF and Navy chiefs

Tischler, 50, joined the military in 1993 and served as a fighter jet pilot. He later commanded the 140th and 119th squadrons and the IAF’s flight school.

In 2019, he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed to head the Nevatim Air Base — home to numerous squadrons, including F-35 stealth fighters. In 2021, Tischler was appointed head of air operations, a role he served in until August 2023.

In late September 2023, he became IAF chief of staff — a role akin to a deputy, which focuses on force build-up and other administrative matters — just 11 days before Hamas’s terror onslaught.

Tischler is set to replace Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar as IAF chief, who served in the role for nearly four years.

Harel, 51, joined the military in 1992 and became a naval officer. He later commanded the INS Romach Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boat, the 916th Patrol Squadron, and the Missile Ship Fleet’s 31st Squadron.

In 2013, he was promoted to the naval rank of captain and was appointed to head the Missile Ship Fleet.

In his first role outside of the Navy, Harel, in 2015, was appointed as head of the planning department within the Planning Directorate.

In 2018, Harel was promoted to rear admiral and returned to the Navy to serve as chief of the Naval Intelligence Division. In 2019, he was appointed head of the Naval Operations Division.

In 2021, Harel returned to the Planning Directorate to head its planning division, and in 2023, was promoted to vice admiral and entered the role of chief of the directorate.

Harel is set to replace Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, who has been Navy chief for over four years.