Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday he will not approve the promotion of a senior reserves officer, citing his apparent involvement in the Brother in Arms protest group, after the military included the officer in a late-night announcement Thursday of a round of senior appointments.

It was the latest incident in several clashes between Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

The list, announced by Zamir shortly before midnight, included two officers promoted to brigadier general, 28 promoted to colonel, and one brigadier general and nine colonels who are moving to new positions at the same rank.

Col. (res.) German Giltman, who retired from the IDF in 2022, was set to be promoted to brigadier general and return to the military to serve in a senior role in the Ground Forces.

Giltman later said he was withdrawing his candidacy for a position, “in light of the publications and the turmoil that has developed around his appointment.”

His promotion and appointment were recommended to Zamir by senior officers, including Operations Division chief Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, who was the commander of the 162nd Division — and Giltman’s commander — for most of the war, as well as designated Mossad director Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, who served alongside Giltman in the Armored Corps over the years.

Giltman served some 700 days in reserves as a “combat manager” and the chief of staff for the 162nd Division, which operated in the Gaza Strip for many months amid the war.

Born in Zaporizhzhia in the Ukrainian SSR, Giltman joined the IDF Armored Corps in 1991. He later served as commander of the 14th Reserve Armored Brigade and deputy commander of the 162nd Division. His last role in the IDF before retiring in 2022 was military attaché to Russia.

After being released from the IDF, Giltman participated in a Brothers in Arms press conference, a group made up of reserve soldiers that played a key role in mass protests against the government’s judicial overhaul plans in 2023.

At the event in March 2023, Giltman said: “I have served until today, both in........

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