The IDF’s Intelligence Corps has a new commander. Brig.-Gen. Ariel Karo was formally appointed as Chief Intelligence Officer (Hebrew abbreviation: ‘Kamnar’), replacing Brig.-Gen Yuval Chalamish. Prior to the new appointment, Karo was the Corps’ Chief Field Intelligence Officer.
The IDF’s website reported that the instatement ceremony took place at the Intelligence Corps Instruction Base (Bahad 15) in the presence of the head of Ithe ntelligence Branch, Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin.
The Intelligence Corps is subordinate to the Intelligence Branch and carries out its staff functions. It is responsible for organization and logistics as well as “force building” – from the identification of possible recruits for service in intelligence to the various courses that teach soldiers the skills necessary for service.
The corps was established upon the recommendations of the Agranat Commission that was created following the Yom Kippur War in 1973 – which began with a surprise attack that the Intelligence Branch failed to predict.
Karo, 43, is a graduate of the IDF’s Command and Staff College. He received his Master’s Degree in political science, with honors, from Haifa University. He has served as the Intelligence Officer for Central Command, Deputy Head of Strategy Division in Planning Branch and Head of the Department for Battlefield Strategy in the Operations Branch, as well as Chief Field Intelligence Officer.
Brig.-Gen. Chalamish, who is retiring from the IDF, also served as Chief Field Intelligence Officer. Previously, he was Intelligence Officer of the Paratrooper Brigade and head of Intelligence Collection for the Intelligence Branch.