According to journalist Or Heller, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir views Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, the current head of Central Command, as a leading candidate to become the next head of the Military Intelligence Directorate. The report comes amid the ongoing controversy over Blot's future following Defense Minister Israel Katz's attempt to replace him as Central Command chief.
The report, published Tuesday evening, suggests that despite the public dispute between the defense minister and the military leadership, Chief of Staff Zamir is considering Blot for a senior role. As The Zioneer previously reported, the controversy erupted on Sunday night when Defense Minister Katz announced on live television that he intended to replace Blot with Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, only to be met with a rare public rebuke from the IDF. Zamir later froze senior appointments, neutralizing Katz's influence over promotions. Blot, who commands the Judea and Samaria region, has been at the center of the political-military tension. The Military Intelligence Directorate is one of the IDF's most senior positions, and the appointment would require approval from the defense minister and the government. It remains unclear whether Katz would support Blot's appointment to the role.
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