Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Major General Amir Baram on Friday wrote a letter to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, requesting to step down from his post in February.
Baram is among the candidates for the next Chief of Staff.
Baram, one of the most senior and experienced officers in the IDF, served as the head of the Northern Command before being appointed Deputy Chief of Staff in October 2022. He held this position during the October 7, 2023, massacre and in all the time that has passed since then.
In his letter to Chief of Staff Halevi, Baram wrote, "Several months ago, at your request and in coordination with the Defense Minister, I extended my term by an additional six months (until February 2025) because I believed it was appropriate and right to accept the request in light of the intensified war, despite the fact that traditionally, the Deputy Chief of Staff's tenure is only two years in length.”
"On December 18, I asked your assistant to schedule a meeting aimed at preparing for the conclusion of my role on the agreed upon date. This is because the intensity of the war has significantly decreased, I feel that under the current circumstances my ability to contribute as Deputy Chief of Staff is limited, and I do not intend to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for three or four full years (a double term). Therefore, I request to conclude my term as agreed—February 2025—completing two and a half years since the start of my term. Of course, in the future, I will be ready to fulfill any role required of me within the defense establishment."
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stated, "The Deputy Chief of Staff requested to conclude his role at the end of February 2025, after extending his tenure from two years to two and a half years at the Chief of Staff's request due to the war. The Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff discussed the matter, and the Chief of Staff expressed his appreciation for the Deputy's significant contributions during the war and in general.”
“The Deputy Chief of Staff will fulfill any role he is required or asked to undertake," it added.
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