The new head of Israel’s Air Force is Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan. He replaces Eliezer Shkedi at the head of the IDF unit that may be charged with preventing Iran from going nuclear.
The 51-year-old Jerusalemite currently heads the IDF’s Planning Directorate. His promotion was approved by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi on Friday, and he will officially take his new position on April 4.
Nehushtan joined the IDF in 1975, serving as a fighter pilot. He initially flew an A-4 Skyhawk, but was later trained to fly an F-4 Phantom in the IAF’s 107th Squadron. He commanded an F-16 squadron at the Ramon Air Force base during the Gulf War, maintaining readiness if air strikes were called for.
He later served as an instructor in IAF’s pilot school and went on to become deputy commander of the 253rd Squadron (ranked major) and later commander of the 140th Squadron (ranked lieutenant colonel).
Nehushtan was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 2000, when he commanded the Intelligence Squadron. In 2002 he commanded the Air Squadron and from 2004 he headed the Air Force staff. He was also a member of the IAF’s aerobatic team.
The Maj.-Gen. also holds degrees in mathematics and computer science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an MBA from a joint Northwestern and Tel Aviv University program, and is a graduate of Harvard University's Advanced Management Program.
Nehushtan inherits control of the Air Force at a time when strategies for the possibility of a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities are in demand. The Air Force also faces a number of decisions regarding the acquisition of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and Hercules transport planes.
Nehushtan speaks fluent English with a British accent, and gave daily briefings to reporters during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
The name Nehushtan come from the bronze snake on a pole fashioned by Moses at G-d’s command in the Book of Numbers. When the Jews who were under attack from snakes gazed at the snake, G-d would heal them. The pole was later destroyed by King Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) in Kings II, as some had turned it into an object of worship.