After dissing IDF West Bank chief, announcing replacement on live TV, Katz now says he’s doing ‘well,’ isn’t ousted

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the army’s top officer in the West Bank, is “performing his duties well,” further walking back his apparent attempt to replace the commander on live TV just a day earlier.

The statement came shortly after a Channel 13 report said the defense minister’s initial denunciation of Bluth had infuriated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Katz set off an extraordinary public clash with the military Sunday night when he denounced Bluth, and announced the general’s replacement during a pro-government talk show. Katz, as defense minister, does not have the authority to unilaterally fire Bluth.

The military quickly put out a sharp statement saying Bluth would remain in his post.

Katz has since denied that he was calling for the commander’s imminent dismissal, calling that interpretation of his words a “complete lie.” But he also claimed that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir had wanted to replace Bluth.

Channel 13 reported Monday that Netanyahu was furious at Katz over the debacle, calling his conduct “obscene behavior” and demanding a clarification from him.

Katz’s office denied that he spoke with Netanyahu about the subject, and asserted that the Prime Minister’s Office also denied that any such conversation took place.

Zamir also reaffirmed his support for Bluth, telling him during a General Staff forum meeting, “You have my full support. You’re not going anywhere,” according to Hebrew media reports.

Shortly after the report that Netanyahu had been enraged by the fiasco, Katz’s office issued a statement about a meeting he held on Monday with settlement mayors and heads of regional councils in the West Bank.

During the meeting, Katz “emphasized that the IDF is acting in accordance with government policy, that Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth has not been dismissed, and that he supports and backs all IDF commanders and soldiers.”

“The minister added that Maj. Gen. Bluth is performing his duties well and that there is no disagreement between them,” Katz’s office said.

Katz’s office also added that the heads of the local authorities “expressed tremendous appreciation for Maj. Gen. Bluth for his leadership, his security and settlement achievements, and his extensive efforts on behalf of the security of the State of Israel, and rejected the campaign against the defense minister and the Central Command chief.”

Bluth has been Central Command chief for more than two years, since July 2024. Far-right figures allege he is soft on Palestinian terror while unfairly targeting settlers, while left-wing groups accuse him of not sufficiently cracking down on near-daily attacks by settlers against Palestinians. He has denounced those incidents as “Jewish terrorism,” though arrests, indictments and convictions in the attacks are rare.

Bluth’s conduct on that front is what led to the current controversy. Speaking on a talk show on the pro-government Channel 14 news late Sunday evening, Katz had said Bluth had contravened the ministry’s policy by seeking to renew an administrative restraining order against a settler accused of an especially brutal March attack in a Palestinian village.

Speaking on the talk show, Katz initially backed Bluth. But after being criticized over the matter by the panelists, the defense minister appeared to change tacks and said he had decided to appoint IDF Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief, ostensibly to replace Bluth.

Katz argued earlier Monday that Zamir had already recommended Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief, and that his comments a day earlier were simply him announcing his intention to “advance [Bar Kalifa’s] appointment in accordance with procedures.”

The defense minister reportedly criticized Zamir during his meeting with West Bank settlement leaders earlier today, questioning why the chief of staff was taken aback by his comments on Channel 14, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

“I heard the IDF chief, I don’t understand why he’s so surprised,” Kan quoted Katz as saying. “If he wanted to leave Bluth in his role, why did he bring Dado Bar Kalifa for me to look into already in April?”

A report by Channel 12 on Monday suggested that Zamir had nominated Bar Kalifa for the position only to prevent him from becoming Netanyahu’s military secretary. Katz’s circle questioned that claim.

“Could it be that he wanted Bar Kalifa as the Central Command candidate only so that the prime minister wouldn’t take him to serve as his military secretary?” queried sources close to the defense minister. “The moment the prime minister chose a military secretary, Bar Kalifa suddenly became unsuitable as Central Command chief?”

In June, Netanyahu tapped Brig. Gen. Guy Markizeno — a senior Katz aide — as his next military secretary, to replace Roman Gofman, who became the director of the Mossad.

Separately, sources close to Bar Kalifa on Monday denied reports that he had committed to carrying out Katz’s policies in the West Bank.

“He has made no commitment regarding any particular policy. In any event, he will act in accordance with the chief of staff’s decisions and the needs of the IDF,” the sources told Channel 12.

They added that Bar Kalifa has a good relationship with Bluth and is not allowing the public dispute to affect him.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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