The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting on Monday, 4 Sivan 5773, unanimously approved the appointment of Major.-General. (ret.) Avichai Mandelblit as Cabinet Secretary in place of Tzvi Hauser, who is stepping down after four years in office. Mandelblit is a former IDF Military Advocate General and since retiring from the IDF has served as a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked Tzvi Hauser for his years of service and wished Mandelblit success: “You are finishing years of dedicated, professional and unconventional work, with out-of-the-box creative thinking that frequently aided me, the government and the state, several of which will become known later. I think that you did so in an exceptional manner and I would like to specially commend the work that you initiated and, to a large extent, led on the national heritage plan. I think that this is a major revolution in reinforcing the common foundations that define the reason why we are here and, of course, ensure the identity of the coming generations with the Zionist and Jewish enterprise. To fill your position is not simple, but I looked for someone with a background no less impressive and I asked Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Avichai Mandelblit, who was IDF chief advocate general, to do so. I am certain that he brings with him many qualities – legal and others, including knowledge of the security issues, which you also dealt with – for this task, and I will submit his appointment to the Cabinet today in the hope, and with good wishes, that he will continue your success.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)