Dan Halutz takes over as 18th chief of staff

Ariel Sharon made a point yesterday of correctly pronouncing the name of the incoming chief of staff: Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, with the stress on the second syllable, not the first.

"As a soldier in the reserves, I received that directive too," the prime minister joked during the changing-of-the-guard ceremony at his bureau, referring to a report (denied by Halutz) that the first order the 18th chief of staff will issue his officers will concern the proper pronunciation of his name.

Sharon was less careful with the outgoing chief of staff, Moshe (Bogey) Ya'alon, calling him yesterday "Boogey" instead of "Bogey" - and only few recalled that less than three years ago, in the same place, Sharon had promised to quickly learn to pronounce the nickname correctly.

There was something awkward, a bit forced, about the ceremony. This discomfort was also evident on previous occasions: in 1998, when prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted of the decision to appoint "an Iranian-born chief of staff" and embarrassed Shaul Mofaz; in 2002, in view of the obvious tension between outgoing chief of staff Mofaz and the defense minister, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer.

But this time, the sense of something being slightly amiss was more apparent. In conversations at the reception preceding the official ceremony, several generals mentioned their anger at the way Sharon and Mofaz treated Ya'alon and the decision not to extend his tenure for a fourth year. Others spoke of Ya'alon's parting gift to Sharon and Mofaz: yesterday's lead headline in Haaretz announcing his warning of a terror onslaught from the West Bank following the disengagement.

In the ceremonial speeches, only Mofaz addressed, albeit indirectly, the circumstances of the changeover. "Even if we did not always see eye to eye," he told Ya'alon, "nothing detracts from the esteem in which I hold your contribution to the state and its security."

The generals' reservations were not directed at the new chief of staff. Halutz is experienced, served in a series of senior General Staff posts - head of the operations directorate, air force commander, deputy chief of staff - and at 57 is 5 or 10 years older than his generals (photographers crowded around the star attraction: Halutz's grandson, baby Yehonatan. This is the first time that a chief of staff has reached that position as a grandfather). His leadership seems natural, as does the human touch in dealing with his surroundings. If there were any doubts about setting a "blue" commander over the "green" army, it looks like the chief of staff has already adjusted to the idea since his appointment was announced.

Halutz focused his address on the primary task facing him in his first year - implementing the disengagement plan. "Israel is about to carry out an essential and substantial maneuver," the incoming chief of staff said. "The decision by the government and Knesset will be implemented with the appropriate sensitivity and necessary determination."

He promised to safeguard the dignity of all those involved, both civilians and soldiers, and called for the Israel Defense Forces to be left out of the political debate over the disengagement. The IDF will remain the people's army after the pullout too, Halutz said.

"Divisiveness and refusal will not be tolerated ... the IDF has a single chain of command: the military one, which is subservient to the political echelon - and no other," he said.

Ya'alon listened quietly to the compliments bestowed on him by the speakers, who promised that his impact on the IDF would be felt for years to come. Sharon, Mofaz and Halutz gave Ya'alon credit for playing a major role in halting Palestinian terrorism. Ya'alon spoke of the many IDF soldiers who fell during his 37 years of military service, and expressed regret at not completing one mission: bringing home all the POWs and MIAs. He promised to continue helping with that cause in any way he can.

Sharon, who spoke off the cuff, praised Ya'alon for his warm attachment to the land and his contribution to converting immigrant soldiers.

After the ceremony, the heavily guarded motorcades continued to the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, where Halutz and Ya'alon surveyed honor guards and Halutz held a brief General Staff meeting. Future meetings will deal with additional matters on the agenda for Halutz's first year in office, headed by his plans for several organizational reforms in the IDF.

Halutz also will be called upon shortly to deal with an issue of no less interest to his top brass - the expected round of General Staff appointments, including for the heads of military intelligence, ground forces, and the northern and southern commands.

As Ya'alon left the Kirya to go home to Reut, a surprise awaited him at the gate: an improvised, practically spontaneous formation of soldiers who lined up to thank him.

	BABYSTEPS:New Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz kissing his infant grandson Yehonatan after yesterday's swearing-in ceremony at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. (Eyal Warshavsky / BauBau)