Open dispute has erupted between Israeli occupation army and defense minister, who announced a replacement for Israeli Central Command chief on live television Sunday night, with the military quickly saying the commander would remain in his post.
Israeli DM Israel Katz sparked outrage as he denounced Israeli Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and announced a replacement for him in a live interview on Channel 14’s “The Patriots.”
Speaking with the right-wing Channel 14 news, Katz said Bluth had contravened his policy by seeking to renew an administrative restraining order against a violent settler, and that this was unacceptable.
The settler, Tal Yinon Dardik, is suspected of a brutal March attack in Khirbet Humsa, a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank.
⭕️ Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on live television that he was replacing the Israeli military’s West Bank commander, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, without first informing Bluth or coordinating with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Haaretz reported.
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The move followed Bluth’s… https://t.co/oqHlk8rotk
Katz said Bluth and the Military Advocate General’s Corps had filed an appeal to the court against the release of Dardik, “contrary to my policy.”
“They did it against my position. It was the wrong step. [The IDF’s West Bank commander] must take my policy into account, and I will insist on this,” Katz told Channel 14.
The Israeli DM declared that he had decided to appoint Israeli military Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief, live on TV.
Israeli Military Statement
After Katz made the comments on Channel 14, the Israeli military said that Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir would not be replacing Bluth at this time, noting that his announcement was “not coordinated” with Zamir.
“The chief of staff has no intention of replacing commanders in key positions during this sensitive period, and if such a decision is made by the chief of staff, it will be approved in accordance with procedures,” the occupation military said in a statement.
Later on Monday, Zamir has reportedly decided not to appoint any officers to senior roles until at least after the election season.
The Ynet news site reported that Zamir will freeze appointments of major generals until early 2027, after the October 2026 election season is presumed to have settled, in an apparent attempt to prevent Katz from interfering.
The move means that Bluth will likely stay in his role for three years, which is not unusual.
Opposition Outrage
Opposition leaders assailed Katz and the government after he made his announcement.
“The spectacle that took place on [Channel 14] was an unprecedented low point in relations between the political and military echelons — an improper and unlawful act,” Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot said on X.
“The State of Israel is no one’s private property, and the IDF is not a tool to be used in primaries by politicians who’ve lost their way,” he said, referring to Israeli occupation forces.
Eisenkot, a former chief of staff, said the current government “is not fit to safeguard the security of the state.”
He added that “very soon, the people of Israel will have worthy and responsible leadership, with Israel’s welfare and security as its sole concern.”
Together party leader Naftali Bennett said the government was acting “against its soldiers.”
“After dismantling the IDF from the outside and paving the way for mass draft evasion, the October 7 government has now decided to dismantle the IDF from within and guarantee complete chaos,” he wrote.
“Tonight, I say to every citizen of Israel, and to all IDF soldiers and commanders, both active-duty and reservists: Hold on tight — the reinforcements are on their way. Soon, we will replace them, and together we will set things right.”
Katz has clashed with Zamir in the past. A year ago, the two sparred publicly over senior military appointments and their respective authority over the process, in an open power struggle that saw them trade blows in the media before the dispute was eventually settled.
Source: Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)