‘Civil responsibility’ in West Bank handed to Smotrich after meeting with COGAT head

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and the head of the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories held a joint meeting on Thursday morning to coordinate the responsibilities each minister will have over the hybrid civil-military unit COGAT.

Later Thursday, incoming military chief Herzi Halevi is slated to meet with Smotrich, who was given ministerial responsibility for some aspects of the Israel Defense Forces as part of recent coalition agreements.

In addition to being the finance minister, the far-right Religious Zionism leader was appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a sort of junior minister in the Defense Ministry.

Coalition agreements allow him to appoint the generals leading COGAT and its office overseeing many settlement issues, the Civil Administration, subject to Netanyahu’s approval, but it is unclear if the army will agree to such a change.

Currently, the major general in charge of COGAT is appointed by the defense minister at the recommendation of the IDF chief of staff, and the brigadier general overseeing the Civil Administration is appointed by the chief of staff. READ MORE