The public dispute between Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, which peaked with the minister’s announcement that he would replace the general after Bluth “appealed” his decision, has already sparked a political uproar, with lawmakers and party leaders rushing to weigh in.
Beyachad party chairman Naftali Bennett said overnight Sunday that “the government is against its soldiers,” while former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot wrote that “they are unfit to safeguard the country’s security.”
Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
Katz announced his intention in a live interview on Channel 14’s “The Patriots,” shortly before the Likud primaries. He said Bluth would be replaced by Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, currently head of the IDF Personnel Directorate, and added that the appointment had been made on the recommendation of the chief of staff.
But Katz’s announcement of Bluth’s replacement came earlier than expected. Bluth took office in July 2024, while his predecessor served in the position for three years. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, meanwhile, contradicted the minister’s statement, saying his remarks had not been coordinated with the chief of staff.
“After finishing the job of dismantling the IDF from the outside and guaranteeing mass draft evasion, the October 7 government has decided to dismantle the IDF from within and guarantee complete chaos,” Bennett wrote.
“I say tonight to every citizen of Israel and to every IDF soldier and commander, in compulsory service and the reserves: Hold on tight. Reinforcements are on the way. Soon we will replace them and, together, we will repair the damage.”
Eisenkot also attacked Katz.
“The spectacle that took place on ‘The Patriots’ was an unprecedented low in relations between the political and military leadership, and an improper and illegal act,” he said. “The State of Israel is not private property and the IDF is not a tool in the primary campaigns of politicians who have lost their way.”
Yoaz Hendel, who is campaigning in hopes of winning the support of military service members, said: “Defense Minister Israel Katz’s live announcement that Central Command chief Avi Bluth would end his term is a disgraceful and irresponsible act that exceeds his authority.”
“The authority to appoint IDF major generals rests solely with the chief of staff,” Hendel said. “This is not how one treats a senior officer who has dedicated his life to Israel’s security. Commanders are not tools in a political game and the IDF is not a public relations stage for a primary campaign.”
Others, however, welcomed the decision, particularly within the governing coalition.
Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech wrote on X that “Bluth failed in his position.”
“Instead of focusing all his forces on fighting terrorism, he chose to turn the hilltop activists and pioneers into the enemy,” she wrote. “Under his command, settlers were persecuted time and again while Arab terrorism continued to intensify.”
“Bluth also repeatedly chose to act on his own and pursue a policy that contradicted the policy set by the elected political leadership,” she added. “In a democratic country, a commanding general does not set policy. His job is to carry it out.”
“Anyone who wants to determine the State of Israel’s security policy is welcome to take off his uniform and run for the Knesset,” Son Har-Melech said. “As long as he serves in the IDF, he is obligated to follow government policy, not his personal worldview.”