There are around 25 senior officers with rank of general who oversee the various branches of the IDF, and right now, three of them are in Washington D.C. rather than in Israel, according to a report published in Israel Hayom.
General Hedi Zilberman’s presence in the U.S. capital is justified due to his being the IDF attache there; however, the other two generals are currently “in-between appointments” and are studying in the United States while being funded by the IDF – in fact, they are receiving their full salaries as IDF generals, and their security details are also publicly funded.
One of the two is the outgoing deputy IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, who left that position in July and is hoping to be appointed the next Chief of Staff. The other is Yoel Strick, former commander of the IDF Land Forces, who left that position in October – he, too, has presented his candidature for the top army position, and, failing that, hopes to be appointed deputy Chief of Staff.
Both Zamir and Strick are highly respected officers who have devoted years of their lives to their careers, risked their lives on numerous occasions on behalf of their country, and chosen to forgo the chance to lead normal family lives in order to serve the IDF. However, the impression given by their extended stays in the United States while waiting to hear of their future appointments is problematic. In addition, they are receiving not only their full salaries (some 67,000 shekels per month) but also a budget to cover their security expenses and additional partial funding for their living expenses. At a time when the IDF is demanding an increase in the defense budget and when the high salaries and pensions of career officers have come under public scrutiny, it would be wise for the army to consider its position more carefully.
The fact that the two are in-between appointments while still in uniform is also seen as problematic by many, even though it has been accepted practice for many years. Even if the practice is acceptable, however, the criticism is more pointed in the cases of Zamir and Strick, given that they are in the United States rather than Israel, where security costs, insurance, and other expenses are far higher.