Gen. Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States for the past three years, is slated to enter the Cabinet late in 1972 or early in 1973, it was learned from reliable sources here today. According to the sources, he will take the portfolio of Minister of Development, presently vacant. Rabin was Chief of Staff of Israel’s armed forces during the Six-Day War and was subsequently appointed to his post in Washington. In recent months he has publicly expressed sharp criticism of American policies in the Middle East.
Sources said Rabin was due to enter the Cabinet early next year along with retiring Chief of Staff Gen. Haim Bar-Lev, but the shift was postponed in order to allow more time to find a successor. Bar-Lev will assume the Commerce and Industry portfolio presently held by Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir who reportedly has approved Bar-Lev’s appointment.
According to knowledgeable sources here, 46-year-old Gen. David “Dado” Elazar has already been selected to succeed Bar-Lev. Elazar is Chief of the General Staff Branch at General Headquarters, the same post Bar-Lev held before his elevation. It is regarded as a stepping stone to the post of Chief of Staff.
Like Bar-Lev, Elazar grew up in Yugoslavia and was commander of an armored corps. During the Six-Day War he was commander of the Northern Command which battled the Syrians and captured the Golan Heights. Elazar is presently in the United States on a mission for the United Jewish Appeal. If his appointment is confirmed, he will be the ninth Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
