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News   Israel News

Israel appoints new Air Force, Navy commanders

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the appointments of Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler as the next chief of the Israeli Air Force and Vice Adm. Eyal Harel as the next commander of the Israeli Navy.

Dec. 24, 2025
JNS Staff

Israel appoints new Air Force, Navy commanders

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Eyal Harel
Maj. Gen. Eyal Harel, head of the Planning and Force Build-up Directorate attends a replacing ceremony held at the IDF Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem on July 8, 2024. Photo by Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday that he has approved the appointments of Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler as the next chief of the Israeli Air Force and Vice Adm. Eyal Harel as the next commander of the Israeli Navy.

The appointments had been sought for months by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir but were delayed pending review.

Katz said he had approved Tischler’s appointment after Defense Establishment Comptroller Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Volansky conducted “a comprehensive and thorough review” of the officer, who served as IAF chief of staff before and during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

The defense minister said military reviews of internal Oct. 7 investigations found no issues that would disqualify Harel, who recently served as head of the IDF Planning Directorate, from leading the Navy.

IDF Defense and Security
JNS Staff
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