Israel's military attach to Washington retires from IDF

Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni, who recently completed his assignment as Israel's military attach to Washington, has decided to retire from service in the Israel Defense Forces after 35 years in uniform.

Shamni's announcement takes his candidacy for the position of the IDF's next deputy chief of staff off the table. Speculation has it that one of the reasons behind his retirement was his belief that he was not going to receive the appointment.

Shamni has also served as GOC Central Command and the prime minister's military secretary.

The leading candidate to become the next deputy chief of staff is Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, who currently holds no position in the IDF, but is considered a top candidate by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. His appointment, however, is also dependent upon the investigatory findings surrounding the Harpaz affair, because Eizenkot was among those who had knowledge of the document before it was published by the media and his close associates were those who leaked the story to the press, even if he was unaware of their actions.

Other candidates for the position are Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi, who finished his term as GOC Central Command several months ago. GOC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Yair Golan is also in the running.

The deputy chief of staff posting is generally considered a significant springboard to becoming chief of staff.