JERUSALEM — Israel’s top military leadership was in turmoil Wednesday, lacking an army chief or even the prospect of an early appointment as the Arab world continued to erupt in upheaval around it.
Israelis awoke to discover that Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, the incoming chief of staff, had been dismissed and that feuding between various branches of government had led to an indefinite hiatus for the post. Galant was accused of misappropriating land to build his house.
The impasse came as Israelis nervously watched events unfold in Egypt, their neighbor to the south.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Wednesday for “bolstering Israel’s might” in response to the turmoil unfolding in Egypt. Speaking to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, he repeated Israel’s concerns that Egypt could adopt an Islamist regime after President Hosni Mubarak leaves office.
