IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has appointed Brig. Gen. Ephraim “Effie” Defrin as the new commander of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. The appointment was approved by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Defrin was seriously wounded while serving as a tank battalion commander in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, and has served as Israel’s defense attache to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
In his most recent position, he served as the head of the military’s International Cooperation Division.
He will replace the current IDF Spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, in the near future.
Hagari served as the IDF’s chief spokesman since March 29, 2023.
Hagari, 48, has served in the IDF since 1995. He led the Shayetet 13 (Flotilla 13) naval commando unit from 2019 to 2021. Zamir thanked Hagari for his service
In June, Hagari was widely criticized after he told the Channel 13 News broadcaster that the government’s goal of ending Hamas rule in Gaza can only truly be accomplished by putting in place a viable alternative.
Hagari stated that “Hamas is an idea,” and that as such, “anyone who thinks it can be eliminated is wrong.” He also said the Iranian-backed terrorist organization is “rooted in the hearts of the people” of Gaza.
In December, Defense Minister Katz threatened disciplinary action against Hagari after he expressed in-uniform criticism of the “Feldstein Law,” a bill making its way through the Knesset that would give immunity to members of the security establishment who give classified files to the prime minister or the defense minister.
Hagari’s subsequent apology “put an end to the incident,” leading Katz to abandon his plans to initiate disciplinary proceedings, sources close to the defense minister stated, adding that Katz would not tolerate any further partisan political statements from “anyone wearing a uniform.”
Also last year, Hagari demanded that Channel 14 News take down an “inciting” meme that mocked IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, calling it “humiliation of the IDF and its commanders in wartime.”
In a public response, the broadcaster called on Halevi to “clarify to Rear Admiral Hagari that he is a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces and not a television critic.”
The channel also said it “did not broadcast any inciting video against the IDF or against any of its commanders.”
