Ram Rothberg

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Ram Rothberg
Commander of the Israeli Navy
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 October 2011
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Chief Benny Gantz
Preceded by Eliezer Marom
Military service
Allegiance  Israel
Service/branch Israeli Navy
Rank Vice Admiral[1]
Unit Flotilla 13
Commands Commander of the Israeli Navy
Naval Intelligence
Haifa Naval Base
Commander of Flotilla 13
Battles/wars 2006 Lebanon War

Aluf Ram Rothberg is a general in the Israel Defense Forces who is the head of the Israel Navy.[2]

Service history

Rothberg commanded the Flotilla 13 commando force from 2001 to 2004[3] and presided over some of its most illustrious operations, such as the raid on the Karin A arms smuggling ship in January 2002.[4]

He later served as the Chief of Naval Intelligence during the Second Lebanon War and was reprimanded by then-Chief of Staff Dan Halutz for the 14 July 2006 attack on the Israeli corvette INS Hanit. An Iranian-supplied C-802 anti-ship missile fired by Hezbollah hit the warship, whose crew was apparently unaware that the Lebanese group possessed such weapons. The strike left four sailors dead and the ship temporarily disabled. Rothberg was criticized over his contribution to the failure, but later was promoted to the position of commander of the Navy's Haifa base.[4]

Afterwards, Rothberg served in the Israeli National Security Council.[5]

Commander of the Israeli Navy

On 4 August 2011, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved his appointment as the next head of the Israel Navy,[3][4][5][6] after being nominated by IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. He is to be promoted in rank to Major General (Aluf). He replaced Vice-Admiral Eliezer Marom, who retired after serving in the IDF for 37 years.[6] He was not the front runner for the post and the appointment was received with surprise by military officials.[4] On 10 October 2011, in a ceremony held at the Haifa naval base, Rothberg entered his role as commander of the Israel Navy.[2]

Rothberg is being investigated for an April Fool's Day joke on 1 April 2012. On that day, Rothberg ordered senior commanders to prepare for a complex, 10-day exercise in Italy with the US and Italian navies. Intending to keep the joke among senior officers, he ordered the news be kept at the senior command level, but the information leaked to lower officers, who worked throughout the night to prepare. Three missile ships and their crews were readied at at Haifa naval base, and officers worked to chart a course to Italy. Sailors' parents also rushed to the base to give them supplies and money. By the time Rothberg admitted that it was a joke, the three warships were ready to set sail, and crews were standing at attention on deck.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ "החלפת פיקוד חיל הים" [Exchange of Navy Command] (Press release) (in Hebrew). Israeli Navy. Retrieved 29 November 2011. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Maj. Gen. Marom: Israel Navy capable of operating in distant theaters" (Press release). IDF Spokesperson. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "הרמטכ"ל מינה ארבעה אלופים חדשים למטה הכללי" [Chief of Staff appointed four new Maj. Gen. to the General Staff] (Press release) (in Hebrew). IDF Spokesperson. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Greenberg, Hanan (4 August 2011). "Reprimanded officer appointed Navy chief". Ynetnews. Retrieved 7 August 2011. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Katz, Yaakov (4 August 2011). "Barak appoints Ram Rothberg as next head of Israel Navy". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 August 2011. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "New appointments to General Staff Forum approved" (Press release). IDF Spokesperson. 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011. 
  7. ↑ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4211056,00.html
  8. ↑ http://www.timesofisrael.com/april-fools-joke-flops-on-israeli-sailors/
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