A Channel 1 News report has sparked a verbal confrontation between the Defense Ministry and the IDF spokesman, Brigadier-General Avi Benayahu. The report stated that in light of the growing Iranian threat, the defense minister is weighing the possibility of extending IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gabi Ashkenazi’s term for a fifth year, a report believed to has originated in Benayahu’s office. The report points out that the tenure of two other senior security officials have also been extended, along the same lines, Mossad Director Meir Dagan and Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin.

Officials in the Defense Ministry stated “Defense Minister Ehud Barak is fuming over the baseless report”. The defense ministry sources are quoted anonymously, adding the matter of extending Ashkenazi’s term has not been discussed “in any forum or by anyone” and the report displays a measure of “contempt and disrespect” for the chief of staff and the position of chief of staff by the spokesman’s office.

In an official statement released by the IDF Spokesman’s Office, it states the extension of the chief tenure is not presently relevant and not in the scope of IDF. The source of the report was not the IDF and therefore, the IDF does not feel obligated to address the matter further.

Aides to the IDF chief of staff also distanced themselves from the report.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)