According to Channel 12 reporter Yaron Avraham, associates of Defense Minister Israel Katz are escalating the public confrontation with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over the appointment of Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as Central Command chief. The associates accuse Zamir of having ulterior motives, questioning his stated surprise and suggesting he may have wanted Bar Kalifa for a different role.
Tonight, associates of Defense Minister Israel Katz escalated the public confrontation with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over the appointment of Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as Central Command commander. In remarks reported by Channel 12's Yaron Avraham, the associates directly accused Zamir of having ulterior motives, questioning his stated surprise at the appointment and suggesting he may have wanted Bar Kalifa for a different role — possibly as the Prime Minister's military secretary, rather than Central Command chief.
The accusation marks a sharpening of the political-military dispute that erupted Sunday night when Katz announced on live television that he would replace Maj. Gen. Avi Blot with Bar Kalifa. The IDF immediately rejected the announcement as uncoordinated with the Chief of Staff. As The Zioneer reported earlier today (11:02), analysis of Katz's interview showed he directly linked the appointment to dissatisfaction with Blot's handling of administrative measures in Judea and Samaria. By 17:23, a defense source assessed that Bar Kalifa may not assume the role at all due to the ongoing friction.
The current escalation follows Chief of Staff Zamir's decision to freeze all senior IDF appointments, effectively neutralizing Katz's influence over promotions. The associates' direct accusation of ulterior motives suggests the political echelon is now attempting to publicly discredit the military leadership.
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