Defense Minister Israel Katz has issued a statement disputing characterizations of Sunday's live television appearance, claiming that the appointment of Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa to replace Central Command Chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth was part of a process already approved by the IDF chief of staff months before the broadcast.
According to Katz's statement, the appointment timeline was as follows: On April 24, Channel 12 reported that the IDF chief of staff had recommended appointing Head of the Personnel Directorate Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as commander of Central Command. On July 28, Channel 14 reported that Katz had accepted the chief of staff's recommendation.
Katz said he concluded that Bar Kalifa was the most suitable candidate after interviewing him and decided to advance the appointment "in accordance with the established procedures."
The defense minister further claimed that during Sunday's interview, when someone called for dismissal of the general, he responded clearly by saying "No," and that this exchange was "filmed and documented."
This account stands in sharp contrast to both initial media reporting and an official IDF statement. According to the IDF Spokesman's statement released Sunday evening, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir was not aware of Katz's announcement until the public broadcast, and the military stated that Katz does not have the unilateral authority to fire Bluth. The IDF added that it has no intention of replacing Bluth "during this sensitive period" and that any such decision would require the chief of staff's approval in accordance with procedures.
Katz has framed the dispute as a political attack. He wrote: "This is not a genuine controversy, but a media attempt to divert attention from the real question: What would happen if Yair Golan, who has already threatened to dismiss Maj. Gen. David Zini, became defense minister in a government headed by Gadi Eisenkot?"
The conflicting accounts—regarding both the timing of the decision and whether it was coordinated with the chief of staff—have not been reconciled.
