Yedioth Ahronoth: The Israeli army spokesman dismissed

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, reported that the new Israeli Chief of Staff, Major General Eyal Zamir, decided, Friday, not to promote the spokesman for the Israeli army, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, to the rank of Major General, and to dismiss him from his position in the army.

According to a statement issued by the Israeli army, “the two agreed to end Daniel Hagari’s service, and the Chief of Staff wished to express his great appreciation to Brigadier General Hagari for his years of important combat service for the State of Israel”.

“Brigadier General Hagari carried out his duties as IDF spokesman during one of the most complex periods of war in the country’s history, in a professional and dedicated manner,” the IDF statement said.

IDF Spokesperson Hagari, who in the past served, among other things, as commander of the 13th Flotilla, appeared before the public several times during the war – while the political leadership refrained from doing so, including during unfortunate and difficult events.

In one of his statements, he spoke out against the “Feldstein Law,” which would grant immunity from prosecution to anyone who leaks confidential information to the prime minister.

“This law is very dangerous for the IDF, and will create a situation in which any low-ranking figure in the IDF will be able to steal documents,” Hagari said in a statement at the time.

“This law is very dangerous for the IDF… It’s dangerous because it will create a situation where any low-ranking figure in the army will be able to steal and withdraw documents from the IDF at will, and this will endanger human lives and the lives of fighters… That is why it poses a great danger to the IDF and also to the security of the state,” Hagari added.

“Hagari’s statements at the time caused a stir in the political arena, and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi quickly rebuked him for exceeding his authority”.

The IDF spokesperson’s statement on the reprimand said, “The IDF doesn’t criticize lawmakers, but rather presents its position at the political level through the usual mechanisms for this purpose”.

Hagari posted a comment on his statements, in which he indicated that “in my statement in response to the question, I expressed myself in a way that exceeded my authority as a spokesman for the Israeli army, and for this reason the Chief of Staff rebuked me”.

He added, “The State of Israel is a democratic state and the Israeli army is subordinate to the political level.

In the hundreds of statements and questions I have answered since October 7, I have maintained a position similar to that of the state: “The IDF conveys its position to the relevant parties on legislative matters through the mechanisms approved for this purpose, and in no other way”.