IDF officials say that for about a month, the office of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir tried to schedule a meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz to approve the appointments of brigadier generals, but each time the minister postponed it. "As if he were a private," they claim in the military. They also say there is a connection between the political echelon's demand for the IDF to expedite preparations for conquering Gaza City and the approval of appointments, as "an unprecedented extortion move." Security officials estimate that although this is Katz's move, the assessment is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is behind it.