Major General Amir Baram, the IDF Deputy Chief of Staff, wrote to the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and asked him to end his position next month after his tenure was extended by six months, totaling two and a half years overall.
MG Baram, one of the most experienced officers in the IDF, served as the Northern Command Commander before being appointed Deputy Chief of Staff in October 2022, a position he held during the October 7 massacre and throughout the entire 15 months of war since then.
In a letter to Chief of Staff Halevi, Major General Baram wrote: "A few months ago, following your request and in coordination with the Defense Minister, I extended my term for another six months (until February 2025) because I believed it was appropriate and right to grant the request due to the intensified war despite the term of the Deputy Chief of Staff is for only two years."
"On December 18, I asked your assistant to schedule a meeting on the subject of preparing for the end of my term on the agreed upon date," he wrote in an implicit criticism of the Chief of Staff in a letter he sent to him 12 days later.
"Due to the significantly decreased intensity of the war, I feel that in the current state of affairs my contribution as Deputy Chief of Staff is limited, and because I do not intend to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for three or four full years (a double term). Therefore, I will request to end my duties on the agreed date, February 2025, approximately two and a half years since I assumed office. Of course, in the future I will be ready to fulfill any role in the defense establishment that is required," MG Baram added.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
The IDF Spokesperson's Office stated that "the Deputy Chief of Staff requested to end his duties at the end of February 2025, after extending his duties from two to two and a half years at the request of the Chief of Staff in light of the war. The Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff discussed the matter, and the Chief of Staff expressed his appreciation for the Deputy's important work during the war and in general. The Deputy Chief of Staff will perform any role that is required or requested of him."