Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday dismissed allegations that he had publicly called for the removal of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, saying the accusation was false and part of what he described as a politically motivated campaign against the government.
Responding to criticism of remarks he made during a live appearance Sunday on Channel 14’s The Patriots, Katz said he had explicitly rejected a suggestion from another participant that Bluth should be dismissed.
“When one of the participants called to ‘dismiss the general [Bluth],’ I responded immediately and clearly: ‘No.’ The exchange was recorded on camera and is fully documented,” Katz said.
The defense minister also rejected claims that his television appearance influenced the planned leadership change at Central Command. He said the process of appointing IDF Manpower Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Khalifa’s replacement of Bluth had begun months earlier.
“The attempt to suggest that any decision was made as a result of that interview does not stand up to the facts,” Katz said.
The conflict began over an administrative restraining order issued against Tal Yinon Dardik, but it has since grown into a broader disagreement over who sets security policy in the West Bank. A source familiar with the matter told Channel 12 that Katz openly challenged Blut during a closed security meeting last week.
“It was an unpleasant meeting,” the source said. “The minister made it clear he was dissatisfied with Maj. Gen. Blut and made sure the tension was visible.”
The rift burst into public view Sunday when Katz announced during a live television interview that Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa would replace Blut as commander of Central Command. According to the report, the announcement came before IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir had been informed, breaking with the normal practice for senior military appointments.
Zamir responded with an unusually sharp public statement after consulting senior officials, saying it was necessary to draw “a clear red line.” A senior IDF officer also defended Blut’s handling of the case, saying: “Politics must not be brought into the military. As for Dardik, the major general acted according to the law.”
At the center of the dispute is Dardik, who is suspected of involvement in attacks on Palestinians, including an alleged nationalist-motivated sexual assault. Katz opposed renewing an administrative restraining order against him after a military appeals court identified procedural flaws. Despite the minister’s position, Blut and the Military Advocate General’s Office appealed the ruling, further deepening the confrontation.
Katz later denied reports that he had called for Blut’s dismissal during the television interview, calling that characterization “an absolute lie” and saying the decision to appoint Bar Kalifa had been underway well before the broadcast.
