IDF Chief and Minister Smotrich Agree on Ilan Malka as Acting Civil Administration Head

After weeks of behind-the-scenes disagreement, the Israeli military and political leadership have reached a consensus on the appointment of retired Brigadier General Ilan Malka as the acting head of the Civil Administration. Malka, who previously served as the commander of the Givati Brigade, operations officer of the Central Command, and chief of staff of the Central Command, retired from the IDF in 2016. He will replace Brigadier General Hesham Ibrahim, who was appointed as the military secretary to the Defense Minister.

The appointment resolves a dispute between the IDF Chief of Staff and Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding the selection process for the Civil Administration chief. The Chief of Staff advocated for a reservist to fill the acting role temporarily, while Smotrich pushed for a permanent appointment of a different officer. This disagreement was also influenced by the Chief of Staff's decision to delay appointing a new permanent head until after the upcoming elections.

The path to agreement was lengthy, with at least five candidates considered and rejected by one side or the other. Ultimately, the prolonged negotiations led to the compromise of appointing Malka as a temporary solution. This appointment was reported by Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio).