Senior IDF Officer Involved in October 7 Events Temporarily Assigned to Shin Bet Amid Promotion Block

A senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer who played a key role in the events of October 7 has recently been seconded from the military to the Shin Bet security service. This move follows Defense Minister Israel Katz's decision to block the officer's promotion within the IDF, as reported by Channel 13 on Monday evening. Despite the professional backing of top IDF leadership, including former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and current Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who supported the officer's promotion and new appointment, Katz halted the advancement.

The minister's decision came amid public opposition from bereaved families and families of hostages, who demanded that the defense establishment prevent any promotion or reward for officers involved in the security failure that led to the outbreak of the war. Behind the scenes, the officer's transfer to Shin Bet has caused significant frustration within the military. Senior IDF officers claim that Shin Bet chief David Zini actively sought to place the officer in a role within the agency. According to these officers, Zini's intention is to "keep the officer afloat" temporarily at Shin Bet, allowing a cooling-off period after which the officer could return to the IDF and bypass the political blockade on his promotion.

The IDF spokesperson declined to comment on the report or its contents.