Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir appointed Brig. Gen. Eliad Moati as a 'project manager' in the Ground Forces, a role that does not require Defense Minister Israel Katz's approval, effectively bypassing Katz's year-old veto of Moati's promotion, according to an Army Radio report Wednesday. Moati, who commanded the Border Defense Corps days before October 7, was one of three officers Katz refused to promote. An internal probe found no fault with their conduct.
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has effectively bypassed Defense Minister Israel Katz’s year-long veto of Brig. Gen. Eliad Moati’s promotion by appointing him to a “project manager” role in the Ground Forces, a position that does not require ministerial approval, Army Radio reported Wednesday.
Moati, appointed commander of the Border Defense Corps just a week before the October 7 attack, was one of three senior officers Katz refused to promote, reportedly without providing specific reasons. An internal probe by the Turkeman Commission later found no fault with their conduct and recommended no barriers to advancement. Zamir had previously tried to promote Moati to command the 210th Division in the Golan Heights, but Katz cancelled the appointment and forced him to select another officer.
The new move allows Moati to remain in uniform for the coming months. After the next national elections, if a new defense minister is appointed, Zamir is expected to push for Moati’s promotion to division commander. Assessments suggest Moati is being groomed for the Judea and Samaria Division command, which was left deliberately unstaffed in the last round of senior appointments.
The IDF Spokesperson confirmed that Moati recently completed his role as commander of the National Land Training Center and will take leave before serving as a project manager.
This latest episode marks another public manifestation of the deepening rift between the military brass and the political echelon. As The Zioneer reported on August 3, Zamir had already frozen all major general appointments to prevent political interference in the chain of command.
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