New Israel military chief faces war crimes heat

Occupied Jerusalem: Major General Yoav Galant, who on Sunday was named as Israel's next military chief, is a former special forces commander and one-time lumberjack who is linked to allegations of war crimes.

Galant, 51, was confirmed by the government as the next chief of staff and will replace incumbent, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, in February.

As the army's commander for southern Israel, he oversaw the devastating December 2008-January 2009 Gaza war in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

After Galant was nominated last month, pending formal cabinet approval, Israeli human rights group B'Tselem called for thorough scrutiny of his role in the Gaza campaign, codenamed ‘Operation Cast Lead’.

"Galant's suitability for the position must be considered in light of his responsibility for suspected violations of human rights during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, which he commanded," B'Tselem said in a statement.

The group said that investigations into the operation had focused on rank-and-file soldiers and that there was a need for an inquiry into the conduct of senior commanders.

"Such an independent investigation may have direct implications for assessing Major General Galant's ability to lead the army while maintaining a proper moral code," it concluded.

Galant was born on November 8, 1958, in the mixed Arab-Jewish neighbourhood of Jaffa, which is now part of Tel Aviv.

His mother, Fruma, arrived in British-ruled Palestine on the famed ship Exodus as a 12-year-old refugee from Nazi-occupied Poland, according to published accounts.

In 1977, Yoav Galant joined the navy's Flotilla 13 commando unit as a conscript. After six years he left to seek new experiences and spent two years as a lumberjack in Alaska, according to the YNet news website.

He then rejoined the navy, rising through the ranks to eventually become Flotilla 13's commander from 1994 to 1997.

The normally shadowy unit was thrust into the spotlight this year when its members carried out a May 31 raid on an activist ship seeking to break Israel's Gaza blockade in which nine Turks were killed.

Prior to heading the commando force, he took the unusual step of transferring to the army for a year, commanding an infantry brigade in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, evidently with an eye on his future career.

YNet quoted him as telling his commanding officer at the time that he wanted "to get to know the ground forces from up close".

In 2001, Galant moved to the army for good, retraining in the armoured corps and becoming its commanding officer.

In 2005, he was appointed head of the southern command, which covers the Gaza Strip and the Egyptian border region.

His wife Claudine, who he met during his time in the navy, was a lieutenant colonel in the service, YNet said.

The couple have three children - a son who is an officer, a daughter who recently began her compulsory military service and a second daughter in high school.

Galant holds a degree in business and financial management.