New IDF Chief-Of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has announced that R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari will no longer be the IDF’s chief spokesperson.
Although his replacement has not yet been decided, one name that has circulated is Col. Beni Aharon, who commanded the 401st tanks brigade during the war in Gaza, with sources noting Zamir’s affinity for tank commanders like himself.
Aharon has been in military academic studies since June 2024, so he is also readily available to enter a new position.
It was widely presumed that Hagari would be replaced, not only because most new IDF chiefs prefer to install a close ally in the spokesperson’s position but also because he had publicly clashed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the coalition over the probe into some of the Israeli leader’s staff members for allegedly mishandling classified information relating to hostages held by Hamas, as well as regarding integrating haredim (ultra-Orthodox) into the army.
The first IDF spokesperson to emerge from the navy, Hagari served as a top aide to former IDF chiefs Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot.
He was also a commander at multiple levels of the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, which meant his identity was kept secret for most of his career.
Zamir replaced Lt.-Gen. (res.) Herzi Halevi as IDF chief of staff on Wednesday.
Clashes with political echelons
Hagari is not the first chief spokesman to run into anger from the coalition. His predecessor, Brig.-Gen. Ran Kohav, was replaced by Halevi in January 2023, partially because elements of the Netanyahu government had turned their fire on him for sternly condemning an IDF soldier who illegally beat a left-wing activist in Hebron and for some other political controversies.
Despite a court martial finding the soldier’s conduct to be clearly illegal, some politicians came to the soldier’s defense and blamed Kohav for the speed and intensity of the condemnation.