JERUSALEM (VINnews)-Rear Adm. Tal Politis has been appointed Israel’s next defense attaché to the United States, the Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday, filling a key diplomatic post that had been vacant for six months amid tensions between military and defense ministry leadership.

Politis, who will be promoted to vice admiral upon assuming the role, most recently served as chief of staff of the Israeli Navy. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir selected him for the position.

The defense attaché post became vacant in December when Maj. Gen. Hidai Zilberman completed his term. The delay stemmed from a disagreement between Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz over a potential successor. Katz had pushed for his military secretary, Brig. Gen. Guy Markizeno, to take the job, but Zamir deemed him unsuitable.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Markizeno will serve as his next military secretary and will be promoted to major general, a move Katz had advocated for months.

Zamir also appointed Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, commander of the Gaza Division, to head the IDF’s Operations Division, another senior role that had been vacant. The previous head of the Operations Division, Brig. Gen. Yisrael Shomer, stepped down and retired this week after being suspected of “moral offenses,” the military said.

The IDF said Zamir spoke by phone with both Politis and Hiram to congratulate them on their new assignments. In a separate call, he wished Markizeno success in his role.

Both the Politis and Hiram appointments were approved by Katz, according to the IDF.