Gadi Eisenkot Suggests Netanyahu Opposed Sharon Afek's Military Advocate Appointment Over Sexual Orientation

Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and current member of the Yisrael party, addressed the appointment of Sharon Afek as the Military Advocate General during the Saguy Equality Conference on Sunday. Eisenkot hinted that during his tenure as Chief of Staff, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to block Afek's promotion due to Afek's sexual orientation.

Eisenkot emphasized that throughout his military career, especially in senior command roles, his guiding principle was to select the most suitable person for a position regardless of other factors. He stated, "I chose people for roles based solely on who was best suited, without asking other questions." He acknowledged knowing that some candidates belonged to the LGBTQ community but insisted it was never a positive or negative factor in his decisions.

Regarding Afek's appointment, Eisenkot said Afek was chosen from three candidates because he was the most outstanding, describing him as a legal prodigy and excellent commander. After informing the Defense Minister of the choice, the minister initially approved but then raised an unspecified issue two days later. Eisenkot and the minister agreed there was no real problem, and the appointment was publicly announced shortly thereafter.

When asked if the Defense Minister at the time was also Prime Minister, Eisenkot replied no. When pressed on who had the problem with Afek's appointment if not the Defense Minister, Eisenkot suggested investigating who was Prime Minister then, implying Netanyahu was the source of opposition. He recalled that despite the initial resistance, Afek performed excellently and now holds a senior government legal position as Deputy Attorney General.

Eisenkot's remarks shed light on internal resistance within the Israeli government to LGBTQ individuals in senior military legal roles, while affirming his own commitment to merit-based appointments.