Itzhak Gat, president of Rafael, Israel's armament development authority, is threatening to resign on 1 January if the Israeli Government's decision to change the status of Rafael to a company is not implemented.
The Government decided more than four years ago to change the status of Rafael from a department in the Israeli Ministry of Defence to a government-owned company. All the efforts to implement the change have failed, primarily because of opposition from trade unions.
Increasingly frustrated by the deadlock, Gat recently notified the director general of the Ministry of Defence of his intention to resign if the situation does not change.
Meanwhile, the MoD has been casting around for a replacement in case Gat carries out his threat. Among names being mentioned are Avner Raz the president of Elisra, one of Israel's leading electronic warfare companies.
Source: Flight International