TEL AVIV, Israel, March 28 (UPI) -- The Knesset Monday defeated a no-confidence motion over the defense minister's decision to dismiss Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon.
Ya'alon will leave office in July upon completing three years in office. Usually such offices are served four years.
The no-confidence motion was defeated 44-16, with 16 abstentions.
National Union's Yuri Stern cited reports suggesting Ya'alon was virtually fired because he would not promote officers according to lists that came from the prime minister or his son, who is a member of Knesset.
"The Prime minister is handling the state as though it was a private business," Stern said.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was en route to the United States and Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim read Mofaz' statement to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense committee, saying in the forthcoming withdrawal and preparations for new threats to Israel he needs "a new person and a new team ... that would lead in harmony."
