IDF Chief of Staff's Wife Serves as Director at Food Company Facing Inventory Issues

Orna Zamir, wife of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, serves as an independent director at the food company "Tomer Food." The IDF is reportedly one of the company's largest clients. Tomer Food, whose shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, recently reported alleged issues with its inventory management, leading to a halt in its stock trading.

The IDF stated that the allegations are a "manipulation" and that the Chief of Staff has not been involved in any aspect related to Tomer Food. Security officials clarified that there are no private dealings between Tomer Food and the IDF or the Ministry of Defense from the time Halevi served as Chief of Staff or as Director-General of the Ministry of Defense. All dealings during his tenure were won legally through tenders, with the lowest bid winning. Orna Zamir's appointment to the company's board occurred approximately three months ago and was included in an updated conflict of interest agreement.

Orna Zamir, 57, was appointed to her directorial position on May 19th of this year. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Tel Aviv University and a master's in business administration from ESG Paris. She has also worked as a communications consultant and held previous directorial and management positions in other companies and the local government.

Tomer Food was valued at NIS 138 million before its stock trading was suspended. The company's chairman and CEO is Doron David Kimelov. In response to the allegations, Tomer Food stated that it rejects any attempt to link Orna Zamir's appointment to its business dealings with third parties, including the Ministry of Defense, which began long before her directorship. The company maintains that all its dealings with institutional and governmental clients adhere to established procedures.

This is the second recent controversy surrounding Tomer Food. Trading was previously halted on August 24th following the abrupt resignation of the company's newly appointed CFO, Avital Perlstein-Cherny, before she even began her role. The company cited "the manner of inventory management in previous years" as the reason for the issues. An internal committee has been formed to address the inventory handling concerns.