The Advisory Committee on Senior Appointments chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Yaacov Terkel today  approved Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's and Defense Minister Amir Peretz's recommendation that Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gaby Ashkenazi's be the next IDF Chief-of-Staff. Ashkenazi's appointment will be submitted to next week's Cabinet meeting.

The Committee wrote: "The Committee members studied the documents that were submitted to the Committee and evaluated the remarks by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz and the candidate, and were suitably impressed.

The Committee members are convinced that Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gaby Ashkenazi is a very worthy candidate for the post of Chief of the IDF General Staff and that he will be able to bear the heavy burden of the post.

The Committee members were also convinced that there were no disagreements between Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz regarding the recommended candidate and separately concluded that Maj.-Gen. (res.) should be appointed as IDF Chief-of-Staff.

The Committee members found no basis to rule out the appointment on the grounds of integrity or any other reason, and that there are no grounds for concern that the appointment is improper due to personal, commercial or political links to Government or other elements.

Therefore, the Committee endorses the appointment."