Military Secretary to the Prime Minister

Military Secretary to the Prime Minister
המזכיר הצבאי לראש הממשלה
since 4 June 2026
 Israeli Ground Forces
Member of
Reports toPrime Minister
AppointerPrime Minister by recommendation of the Chief of the General Staff
Formation17 March 1948
First holderNehemiah Argov

The Military Secretary to the Prime Minister (Hebrew: המזכיר הצבאי של ראש הממשלה, HaMazkir HaTzva'i Shel Rosh HaMemshala), is the senior military adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel on military and national security issues. As a member of the Military Staff, the position is privy to most products of the Israeli Intelligence Community. The incumbent position holder is Major General Guy Markizano.

History

Earlier military secretaries held the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel (Hebrew: סגן אלוף) and Colonel (Hebrew: אלוף-משנה). In later years, Brigadier Generals (Hebrew: תת-אלוף) and Major Generals (Hebrew: אלוף) have served in the position.

Position's influence

It has been suggested that the raising of status of the military secretary has resulted in military considerations unduly weighing upon Israel's national security policy at the expense of other considerations. It has been additionally suggested that to remedy this, the position of military secretary ought to be held by a lower rank. Critics of this view have suggested that the military secretary's influence follows that of other positions, namely, the National Security Council and the National Security Advisor.[1]

List of military secretaries

PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Rank		TenureNotes Ref.
Nehemiah Argov
נחמיה ארגוב
(1914–1957)
Colonel		1948–1957Post officially established in 1950; previously Military Aide[2]
Did not serve in 1954–55[3]
Died by suicide while in office[4]
Chaim Ben-David
חיים בן-דוד
(1919–1967)
Colonel		1957–1963 [5]
Yitzhak Nesyahu
יצחק נסיהו
(1926–2015)
Colonel		1963–1966Promoted to Colonel in April 1964[6] [7]
Israel Lior
ישראל ליאור
(1921–1981)
Brigadier General		1966–1974Promoted to Brigadier General in July 1969[8] [9]
Ephraim Foran[note 1]
אפרים פורן
(1931–1996)
Brigadier General		1974–1981 [10]
Azriel Nevo
עזריאל נבו
(born 1948)
Brigadier General		1981–1993
Danny Yatom
דני יתום
(born 1945)
Major General		1993–1996
Zeev Livne
זאב ליבנה
(1945–2013)
Major General		1996–1997
Shimon Shapira
שמעון שפירא
(born 1952)
Brigadier General		1997–1999 [11]
Gadi Eisenkot
גדי איזנקוט
(born 1960)
Brigadier General		1999–2001
Moshe Kaplinsky
משה קפלינסקי
(born 1957)
Major General		2001–2002
Yoav Gallant
יואב גלנט
(born 1958)
Major General		2002–2005
Gadi Shamni
גדי שמני
(born 1959)
Major General		2005–2007
Meir Kalifi
מאיר כליפי
(born 1959)
Major General		2007–2010
Yohanan Locker
יוחנן לוקר
(born 1956)
Major General		2010–2012 [12]
Eyal Zamir
אייל זמיר
(born 1966)
Major General		2012–2015Promoted to Major General upon assuming office[13] [14]
Eliezer Toledano
אליעזר טולדנו
(born 1973)
Brigadier General		2015–2018 [15]
Avi Bluth
אבי בלוט
(born 1974)
Brigadier General		2018–2021Promoted to Brigadier General upon assuming office[16] [17]
Avi Gil
אבי גיל
(born 1972)
Major General		 2021–2024 Promoted to Major General upon assuming office[18] [19]
Roman Gofman
רומן גופמן
(born 1976)
Major General		 2024–2026 Promoted to Major General upon assuming office[20] [21]
Guy Markizano
גיא מרקיזנו
(born 1976)
Major General		 2026–

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Surname sometimes translated as "Poran"

References

  1. ↑ Haviv Rettig Gur (6 January 2014). "Inside Israel's White House: How Netanyahu runs the country". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "נחמיה ארגוב – Nehemiah Argov". Association of Latvian and Estonian Jews in Israel. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Zohar, M.B. Ben-Gurion: A Biography
  4. ↑ "ISRAEL: Death of a Friend". Time. 18 November 1957. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  5. ↑ "חיים בן-דוד". משרד הביטחון. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "מעריב⁩, 13 אפריל 1964⁩ — ח.בן־דוד ועוזי נרקיס הועלו לדרגת אלופים". Maariv. 13 April 1964. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "מעריב⁩, 3 יולי 1963⁩ — םא"ל יצחק נסיהו נתמנה למזכירו הצבאי של אשכול". Maariv. 3 July 1963. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "למרחב⁩, 1 אוגוסט 1969⁩ — אלוף שרון ־ להשתלמות; אלוף חופי במקומון". LaMerhav. 1 August 1969. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "דבר⁩, 1 פברואר 1966⁩ — נתמנה מזכיר צבאי חדש לראש הממשלה". Davar. 1 February 1966. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "דבר⁩, 17 יוני 1974⁩ —תא"ל א. פורן מזכיר צבאי לראש הממשלה". Davar. 17 June 1974. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "מונה מנכ"ל למעריב אינטרנט - תא"ל (מיל') ד"ר שמעון שפירא". TheMarker. 10 October 2000. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  12. ↑ IAF Brig.-Gen. Yohanan Locker announced as PM's new military secretary, Jerusalem Post, 24 December 2009
  13. ↑ "Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has been appointed as the new Chief of the General Staff of the IDF". IDF Spokesperson Substack. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Former PM military secretary takes over IDF Southern Command". The Times of Israel. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Zeyton, Yoav (14 August 2015). "אליעזר טולדנו מונה למזכיר הצבאי של ראש הממשלה ויעלה לדרגת תת-אלוף" [Eliezer Toledano was appointed the Prime Minister's military secretary and will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "אל"ם אבי בלוט ימונה למזכיר הצבאי לראש הממשלה". IDF. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  17. ↑ Ahronheim, Anna (17 July 2018). "Netanyahu appoints Col. Avi Blot as new military secretary". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Brig. Gen. Avi Gil to be appointed as military secretary to prime minister". Israel Defense. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "PM names Brig. Gen. Avi Gil as his military secretary". Israel Hayom. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "Highest-ranking officer wounded on Oct 7 will be new military secretary to Israeli PM". i24NEWS. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Netanyahu's military secretary Roman Gofman approved to serve as next Mossad chief". The Times of Israel. 12 April 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
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