Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated Monday morning that he will not make senior major general appointments until after the elections, amid the ongoing controversy between Defense Minister Israel Katz and the IDF command over the replacement of Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, according to Amit Segal (N12).
This morning, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir publicly confirmed that he will not make senior major general appointments until after the elections, amid the ongoing clash with Defense Minister Israel Katz over the replacement of Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot. The statement, reported by Amit Segal (N12), reinforces a freeze that The Zioneer had already reported earlier in the morning.
Reports began at 09:18 Jerusalem, when initial reports (ynet) indicated that Zamir had informed the General Staff that no appointments would be made until 2027 due to the elections. Shortly afterward, additional details emerged (Yossi Yehoshua, Ynet) specifying that Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, praised by Zamir for reducing terrorist attacks, would remain in his post until at least summer 2027. Further reporting (N13/Army Radio) added that the selection of a permanent head of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria had also been delayed until after the elections.
The freeze follows a public clash initiated when Katz announced on-air his intention to replace Blot. The Zioneer has previously reported political commentary arguing that the defense minister lacks the authority to unilaterally appoint generals, with the authority resting with the Chief of Staff.
It remains unclear how Katz will respond to the Chief of Staff's firm stance, and whether the political pressure on the IDF command will continue in the lead-up to the elections.
5 developments
Source and signal
- Open-source intake