Druse officer to become new COGAT head

Maj.-Gen. Kamil Abu-Rokun has been appointed to head the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories beginning after Independence Day this spring.

Abu Rokun, 58, will replace Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai, who has held the post for the last four years.

He will become only the second Druse officer to head the unit, which is in charge of Israeli and Palestinian civilian life in the Area C of the West Bank. Retired Druse Maj.-Gen. Yusef Mishleb held the post from 2004 to 2008.

COGAT is the primary body that deals with Palestinian issues in the West Bank. It is also responsible for oversight of the Gaza crossings and coordinates with the Palestinian Authority.

During Abu-Rokun’s 40 years of IDF service, he has held the position of deputy head of COGAT and the head of the Civil Administration.

Since 2010, he has been in charge of the Crossing Authority, which oversees the two Israeli crossings into Gaza – Kerem Shalom and Erez.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman called him one of the “greatest experts” in Israel on Palestinian affairs.

Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan said that AbuRokun has devoted his life to the State of Israel and that his appointment was a testament to the strong ties the state feels toward the Druse community.