Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman officially kicked off the race for the position of the next IDF chief of staff on Wednesday, announcing his plan to name the person who will replace Lieutenant-General Gadi Eisenkot at the end of 2018 by September.

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While Lieberman said there were a number of candidates for the job, there seems to be one leading candidate to succeed Eisenkot—his deputy, Major-General Aviv Kochavi.

Major-General Aviv Kochavi (L) with IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

Allegedly, the other contenders in this round are former Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan and Major-General Nitzan Alon.

Golan, like Kochavi, comes from the Paratroopers Brigade. He commanded a territorial brigade on the Lebanon border during the tough years of fighting and later headed the Nahal Infantry Brigade, the Judea and Samaria Division, the Home Front Command and the Northern Command.

Former Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan (Photo: Yair Sagi)

Golan is known as someone who voices his opinion during discussions. His views are sometimes surprisingly radical, and he isn't afraid to insist on them and makes no effort to refine them.

He paid a price for his views two years ago, following a speech he delivered on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day. "If there is something that frightens me about the memory of the Holocaust," he said, "it is seeing the abhorrent processes that took place in Europe, and Germany in particular, some 70, 80 or 90 years ago, and finding manifestations of these processes here among us in 2016."

After his comments sparked a row, he clarified them but refused to apologize. In a later interview, he said he had no regrets over that speech. Professionally, Lieberman has a lot of appreciation for Golan, but it's quite unlikely that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will select him as the next chief of staff. The defense minister and political echelon aren't characterized by cognitive flexibility, and Golan is likely to challenge them with his perceptions.

Major-General Nitzan Alon (Photo: Liron Efron/Bamahane)

Nitzan Alon, the third name on the list, received a promise that if he remained in the army and extended his term as head of the Israel Defense Intelligence Operations Division, he would be permitted to compete for the position of chief of staff despite not serving as deputy. Alon came from the elite General Staff Reconnaissance Unit Sayeret Matkal, but his commanders failed to create a proper path for him. He has never commanded a regular brigade or a maneuvering division and hasn't held any positions in the Southern or Northern commands.

When the possibility to appoint him head of the Military Intelligence Directorate was discussed, then-Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said the idea had been vetoed by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Major-General Alon is perceived as a leftist by settler leaders in Judea and Samaria, and regular protests have been held outside his house.

In light of the fact that he never served as deputy chief of staff and that his career path is full of "holes," his chances of receiving the appointment are quite low.

And so we are left with Kochavi, Eisenkot's current deputy, who was destined for the job from a young age. Kochavi fought in southern Lebanon and in Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank and commanded the Gaza Division (Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas during his term). He is considered a smart and eloquent officer, and a person with a good understanding of the public arena and of the tensions in the Israeli society, which have affected the IDF in the past year.