Maj. Gen. Yossi Peled, a veteran of 30 years of military service, announced over the weekend that he will retire from the Israel Defense Force next month.
Peled, who commands the northern sector, covering Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria, rejected an offer to become commander in chief of the IDF’s ground forces.
He wrote to Defense Minister Moshe Arens and the IDF chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Shomron, that the time has come to appoint younger officers to the higher ranks.
But Peled was believed to be irked for being passed over to succeed Shomron, whose tenure as chief of staff expires April 1.
Peled said he plans to study abroad for a year and take a job in private business when he returns to Israel.
He will be replaced as commander of the northern sector by Maj. Gen. Yitzhak Mordechai, who presently commands the central sector, which includes the West Bank. Mordechai’s successor there will be Maj. Gen. Danny Yatom.
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