Defense Minister Israel Katz announced he has accepted Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir's recommendation to appoint Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief. Katz interviewed Bar Kalifa in June and said he was the most suitable candidate, citing his proven record of offensive operations in the War of Resilience. The appointment is expected in the next round of senior command rotations.
Defense Minister Israel Katz officially accepted Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir's recommendation early Monday (Aug 3, 00:28 Jerusalem) and announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next commander of the IDF Central Command. The decision follows a personal interview Katz conducted with Bar Kalifa in June, and comes on the heels of Katz's sharp public rebuke of the current Central Command chief, Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, on Sunday night, Aug 2, 23:22 Jerusalem. Katz emphasized his policy of promoting commanders with a proven record of offensive operations in the War of Resilience, stating that the appointment will be formalized in the next round of senior command rotations.
The thread of this development began with the Defense Minister's office confirming at 00:28 Jerusalem that the recommendation had been made as early as late April. Multiple subsequent versions of the story at the same timestamp detailed the sequence: Katz interviewed Bar Kalifa in June, and the office confirmed the recommendation. The source evolved from an initial ministerial statement to a fuller account of the timeline, including Katz's policy rationale. Earlier, on July 28, The Zioneer reported that Katz had advanced Bar Kalifa's appointment after the major general initially declined the role. On July 29, a defense source assessed that Bar Kalifa, as incoming Central Command chief, would determine the appointment of the next Judea and Samaria Division commander.
As The Zioneer reported on July 28, Katz convinced Bar Kalifa to accept the role after the Chief of Staff's initial request was declined. Bar Kalifa currently serves as Head of the IDF Personnel Directorate (Aka) and previously commanded the 36th Division (Ga'ash). The appointment places him in charge of operations in Judea and Samaria, where Katz has demanded a more aggressive approach toward enemy targets while protecting Israeli residents. The backdrop of the appointment includes the Sunday night dispute between Katz and Blot over administrative measures against Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, which Katz cited as a fundamental disagreement.
The exact timing of the formal appointment remains pending the next round of senior command rotations. The future of the current Central Command chief, Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, has not been officially announced.
8 developments
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz advances appointment of Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as Central Command chief
- DevelopingChannel 14 commentator presents timeline defending Katz in Bar Kalifa appointment dispute
- DevelopingNoam Amir accuses Chief of Staff Zamir of lying about Bar Kalifa appointment
- DevelopingSource assesses Dado Bar Kalifa will decide next Judea and Samaria Division commander
Source and signal
- Open-source intake