Last update - 00:00 03/02/2008
Brig.-Gen. Udi Dekel appointed to head PMO negotiations staff
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Brigadier General Udi Dekel was appointed on Sunday to head the staff entrusted with conducting negotiations with the Palestinians.
Dekel's expected appointment was reported in Haaretz several weeks ago. Since then, the appointment was delayed due to several factors, but the Prime Minister's Office said Sunday that Dekel was appointed with the coordination of Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads the Israeli negotiations team.
In the framework of his new role, Dekel will work in the Prime Minister's Office to coordinate the work of the negotiations team. He will help with the formation of Israel's positions in the talks and will take part in talks on a final status agreement.
Dekel, 51, served up until a few weeks ago as the head of the Israel Defense Forces Strategic Planning Division. He is expected to take on his new duties in the next several days, after his release from the IDF is made official.
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