Maj.-Gen. Benny Ganz has just been appointed IDF Deputy Chief of Staff and – unofficially – one of the three leading candidates to become Israel’s next Chief of Staff. Profile.
Ganz was appointed as a compromise candidate between Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who preferred Southern Commander Gen. Yoav Galant, and Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, who wanted Northern Commander Gadi Eisencott.
Ganz drew the ire of Disengagement-opponents for remarks he made that, at the time, were very politically charged. Referring to the strong opposition to the expulsion, including calls for soldiers to refuse orders, Ganz said, “I think that what is happening to us over the past few months, in terms of the army's fulfilling of the decisions of the Government of Israel, is more dangerous than any rocket that could be fired at us. Some of us are not accepting the Government’s authority in terms of army activities.”
The remarks were so politically charged that then Gush Katif-spokesman Eran Sternberg said in response, “Benny Ganz’s wild incitement is more dangerous than the Hizbullah rockets and right-wing activities put together. To my sorrow, we are witnessing establishment-wide incitement against the residents, starting with the call to ‘break their bones’ [by staffers in Ariel Sharon's Bureau], continuing with ‘cut off the hands of settler opponents of the Disengagement’ [by Ehud Olmert], and now this pearl from General Ganz.”
Ganz, 50 years old, enlisted in the Paratroopers Brigade in 1977. In 1987, he was appointed commander of a paratroopers regiment, and went on to command the elite Shaldag unit in the Air Force and later the reserves paratroopers brigade. He continued his climb up the ranks in 1994 as commander of the Judea Brigade, and a year later, Paratroopers Brigade Commander. Following studies in the United States and further promotions, he was named Commander of the Northern Command in 2002, Ground Forces Commander in 2005, and IDF Attache in the U.S. in 2007, where he currently serves.
Ganz will assume the position of Deputy Chief of Staff in a number of months, replacing Gen. Dan Har’el, who oversaw the Disengagement from Gush Katif in 2005 as Commander of the IDF Southern Command.