IDF spokesman Brigadier General Moti Almoz
IDF spokesman Brigadier General Moti AlmozFlash 90

IDF Spokesman, Brigadier General Motti Almoz addressed the controversy over plans to overhaul the military and make it more efficient. Almoz said that there is no "world war" between the IDF and the government over the plan, dubbed the "Gidon Plan." 

The plan is intended as an alternative to the government's Loker Plan, which is to be presented to the public Tuesday.

He told Channel 10: "The chief of staff has been thinking, of his own initiative, about streamlining the army, because of the socio-economic situation in the country," he explained. "His plan includes many elements of efficiency, savings and layoffs."

"We may be the only organization to decide lay off 5,000 employees, including four generals, on its own initiative." 

Almoz explained the IDF's insistence on a plan to offer a "bridging pension" to encourage early retirement, so called because it provides a "bridge" between the moment of retirement and the age at which the regular pension kicks in. 

"The later we retire, the more difficulty we have finding work," he explained. "If we reach an agreement it needs to be right and to include the entire job market. We should not be discriminated against." 

On Monday, an anonymous General Staff official revealed some of the details of the Gidon Plan. The deal includes reducing significantly the size of the reserve force, as well as paring down and updating the IDF's arsenals.