The new Major General in the IDF’s General Staff, Nitzan Alon, was considered to be the “enemy of the settlers” when he served as former commander of the Judea and Samaria division.
Today, Alon began his role as head of the Central Command. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in a ceremony held last Thursday at the Kiriya in Tel Aviv.
The Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, and the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, attended the ceremony along with the members of the General Staff and the families of the commanders.
Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon is replacing Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi who served as head of Central Command for the past three years and is expected to leave to study in the US. Mizrahi is competing for the role of next Deputy Chief of Staff against Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, the former head of Northern Command.
On Thursday, the Minister of Defense told Maj. Gen. Mizrahi: “Avi, you brought along tremendous experience and left your mark on the command, the military units, and their readiness for war, as well as on the complicated fabric of the region.”
He told the new Major General: “Nitzan, today you are entering a far more complex reality than you’ve experienced in the past two years, and today you’re receiving comprehensive responsibility for it. I would like to wish you the best of luck.”
The outgoing head of Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi, said, “This is the most challenging, complicated, and difficult role I’ve held throughout my service. I’m glad for the opportunity that was given to me, to take part in shaping the future of the state of Israel.”
The incoming head of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, thanked the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff for their trust in choosing him for the role, saying, “I am grateful for the trust in choosing me for this role, and I will make every effort to meet the trust.”
Before his appointment, Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon served as commander of Sayeret Matkal.
🛑 BERND PULCH ARCHIVE | SECURE MIRROR 