The Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, issued a statement Monday morning expressing support for Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, praising his offensive military leadership and dedication to state security. The council also announced that local council heads will meet with Defense Minister Israel Katz this afternoon.
The Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, issued a full statement Monday morning expressing explicit support for Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, praising his 'offensive military leadership' and 'dedication to state security,' and confirming that local council heads will meet with Defense Minister Israel Katz this afternoon. The statement expands on earlier signals of support from the council and local leaders, and also voices backing for Katz's defense policy, calling it a 'revolution in strengthening Israel's security, defeating terrorism, and developing settlement.'
The controversy erupted over the weekend when Katz announced his intention to replace Bluth with Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa. The IDF said the move was not coordinated with the Chief of Staff, but Katz's office later clarified that the recommendation came from the Chief of Staff himself in April, as The Zioneer reported at 02:43 Monday. This morning, support for Bluth emerged from local leaders: Gush Etzion council head Yaron Rosenthal expressed backing at 08:38, and Samaria deputy head Dvidi Ben Zion called Bluth the best Central Command commander for the settlement movement in 20 years at 08:48. The Yesha Council first signaled its support at 09:32, noting that Bluth 'respects the settlement enterprise,' before issuing the fuller statement.
The Yesha Council's dual support for both Bluth and Katz reflects the settlement movement's effort to maintain its relationship with the defense establishment while backing the current commander. The meeting between local council heads and Katz this afternoon will be closely watched for any resolution of the dispute over Bluth's future.
The final decision on Bluth's replacement remains unresolved, with the meeting expected to provide further clarity on the defense minister's intentions and the council's response.
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