Defense Minister Amir Peretz approved Friday the appointment of Major-General Dan Harel as the next Israel Defense Forces deputy chief of staff.

The 51-year-old Harel currently serves as the military attache to the Israeli embassy in Washington, and served as GOC Southern Command during the disengagement from the Gaza Strip.

Harel also served as head of the IDF Operations Branch, Armored Division Commander, Chief Artillery Officer and Military Secretary to the Defense Minister.

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IDF Chief of Staff had strongly recommended that Harel replace Deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinsky, who plans to enter a management program at Harvard University.

Harel will replace Kaplinsky in the coming months, most likely sometime near September.

Kaplinsky has yet to announce whether he intends to remain in the IDF following completion of the several-month course, but has agreed at Ashkenazi's request to postpone any resignation until after the course.

Several options have been under consideration recently that would keep Kaplinsky in the defense establishment, including appointing him as head of military intelligence.

In addition, Army Radio Commander Colonel Avi Benayahu will replace Brigadier-General Miri Regev as IDF spokesperson.

In the past, Benayahu served as advisor to defense ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Mordechai, as Head of Media Relations at the IDF Spokesperson?s Office, as a military correspondent and as head of the Military Correspondents Association for several years.