The Defense Minister's office confirmed Monday that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir recommended Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa for the role of Central Command chief as early as April, and that Katz personally interviewed him in June. The statement responds to the IDF's earlier claim that Katz's announcement was not coordinated with the chief of staff.
The Defense Minister's office confirmed early Monday that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir recommended Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa for the role of Central Command chief as early as late April, and that Defense Minister Israel Katz personally interviewed him in June and accepted the recommendation. The confirmation came after Katz's live television announcement on Channel 14's Patriots program shortly after midnight, which was immediately met with an IDF statement asserting that the move was not coordinated with the chief of staff and that there was no intention to replace the current commander, Maj. Gen. Avi Blot. The Zioneer reported the exchange at 00:41 Jerusalem.
At 23:22 Jerusalem on Sunday, The Zioneer reported that Katz had publicly criticized Blot for acting contrary to ministerial policy regarding administrative measures against Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria, and announced that he was advancing Bar Kalifa's appointment. The current timeline from Katz's office provides a concrete sequence: Zamir's April recommendation, the June interview, and the acceptance of the recommendation. The IDF's denial of coordination has not been withdrawn, but the defense minister's office now presents a timeline that predates the announcement.
The appointment of Bar Kalifa, former Gaza Division commander and senior officer in the Ground Forces Command, follows weeks of tension between Katz and Blot over the handling of administrative orders against Jewish residents. Katz has emphasized his policy of promoting commanders with a proven record of offensiveness and success in the War of Revival, in line with the security policy he leads alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as The Zioneer reported Sunday.
The exact timing of Bar Kalifa's formal appointment in the next senior command rotation has not been specified, and the future role of the current commander, Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, remains unclear. The IDF has not further commented on the coordination dispute.
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
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