A commentary published Sunday evening accused Defense Minister Israel Katz of overstepping his authority and prioritizing political calculations over security considerations in his conflict with Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot. The piece alleged that Katz's office leaked sensitive Shin Bet material about the Dardik case to journalists, and noted that Blot is widely popular among Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. The commentary follows Katz's public attack on Blot and his advancement of a replacement for the post.
A commentary published Sunday evening on The Zioneer's channels accused Defense Minister Israel Katz of overstepping his authority and prioritizing political considerations over security in his conflict with Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot. The piece alleged that Katz's office leaked sensitive Shin Bet material about the Dardik case to journalists, and that Katz is motivated by pressure ahead of Likud primaries rather than security needs. The commentary also noted that Blot is widely popular among Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, in contrast to the political attacks against him.
The development follows Katz's public attack on Blot earlier Sunday evening, during which the defense minister criticized Blot's decision to appeal the release of Tal Yanon Dardik and announced he would advance the appointment of Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as Central Command chief. Commentator Amit Segal (N12) had earlier defended Blot, writing that his 'sin' was professionalism outside the Likud primary schedule. The controversy centers on the use of administrative detention against Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria, with Blot arguing for its continued use in the Dardik case against Katz's stated policy.
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