JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Retired senior police officer Yoram Halevi has been appointed as Israel’s next chief of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Defense Ministry and military announced Sunday.
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Halevi, a former commander of the Jerusalem District Police, was selected jointly by Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
Katz’s office said the defense minister interviewed several candidates before making the appointment, noting that “after consideration, it was decided to appoint Halevi to the position.”
Halevi will succeed Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, who has held the post for the past four years.
COGAT is a unit within the Defense Ministry that oversees civilian and security coordination between Israel and the Palestinians in the Judea-Samaria region and Gaza. Its responsibilities range from approving permits for Palestinian workers and managing humanitarian aid deliveries, to liaising with international organizations and foreign governments operating in the territories.
Deputy Commissioner (ret.) Halevi previously headed the Israel Police’s Jerusalem and Southern districts, the Border Police, the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, the elite Yamam counterterrorism unit, and other top roles.
In a statement, Katz says “Halevi has extensive experience by virtue of the many roles he has filled in the past with great distinction in the Israel Police, including as commander of the Jerusalem District. He is very familiar with the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria and with the Palestinian issue, and I am convinced he will carry out the role in the best possible way.”
Halevi will be awarded the rank of major general upon entering the role of head of COGAT and join the IDF’s General Staff Forum.