Netanyahu ignores IDF generals, runs his own show

In 1996, a few days after the elections in which he beat Prime Minister Shimon Peres against all odds, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned a senior Likud party member who was a close associate at the time. The man, who still holds a key public office these days, was convinced that Netanyahu wanted to consult with him about the tasks ahead, including the formation of a new government coalition and ministerial appointments. He was wrong. From now on, Netanyahu told the Likud stalwart, Army Chief Lt. Gen. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak is to be considered a political leftist. Netanyahu said he wanted Lipkin-Shahak dubbed a leftist whenever possible.

Lipkin-Shahak, the highly decorated commander of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was a popular military leader. The handsome, charismatic general, with the prestigious red paratrooper cap tucked under his epaulets, also came across well on television. The IDF was a highly respected state institution and its chief was guaranteed public adulation. With his keen senses, Netanyahu identified the political threat he posed well before it emerged. Three years later, Lipkin-Shahak, by then a civilian, established the Hamerkaz party (Center party) party along with Likud leavers Yitzhak Mordechai, Dan Meridor and Ronnie Milo. The party’s founding weakened the Likud and helped Labor party leader Ehud Barak, yet another former IDF chief, beat Netanyahu in the 1999 elections.