Opposition chiefs: Government 'acting against its soldiers'

Katz announces he’s replacing top West Bank general; IDF says he’ll stay in his role

Open dispute erupts between army and defense minister, who says on live TV that Maj. Gen. Bluth acted against his policy on violent settler, and declares he has ‘absolute’ control of IDF

Defense Minister Israel Katz set off an extraordinary public collision with the military Sunday night, sparking outrage in the opposition and jubilance on the far right, as he denounced IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and announced a replacement for him on live television.

The military quickly put out a sharp statement saying Bluth would remain in his post. The defense minister does not have the authority to unilaterally fire Bluth.

Speaking with the right-wing Channel 14 news, Katz said Bluth had contravened his policy by seeking to renew an administrative restraining order against a violent settler, and that this was unacceptable.

The settler, Tal Yinon Dardik, is suspected of a brutal March attack in Khirbet Humsa, a Palestinian village in the West Bank, where he, along with other extremist settlers, allegedly stripped a Palestinian victim, zip-tied his genitals, and paraded him around the village.

Dardik, who lives on a farming outpost in Area B in the West Bank, which is under Palestinian civil control, denies taking part in the incident. After breaching the restraining order instructing him to stay away from his outpost home, he was placed in a detention cell, where he has been on a hunger strike for weeks. In a highly unusual move, Katz met Dardik in late July in his jail cell.

Dardik’s arrest has generated protests among West Bank settlers, including far-right Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, who have urged Katz and Bluth to release Dardik.

A week ago, Dardik’s restraining order was repealed on a technicality, and Katz instructed Bluth not to renew it. He said Bluth and the Military Advocate General’s Corps had filed an appeal to the court against the release of Dardik, “contrary to my policy.”

“They did it against my position. It was the wrong step. [The IDF’s West Bank commander] must take my policy into account, and I will insist on this,” Katz told Channel 14.

Katz declared that he had decided to appoint IDF Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief, live on TV.

“Because I also want, in the Central Command, an IDF that strives for decisive victory, strikes its enemies, and protects the settlers,” he said. He also boasted that his “control over the [military] system is absolute.”

Bluth has been Central Command chief for over two years, since July 2024. The role is normally held for two to three years. He has faced criticism from hard-right settlers for speaking out against settler hooliganism and “Jewish terrorism” in the West Bank. Far-right figures allege he is soft on Palestinian terror while unfairly targeting settlers.

At the same time, Bluth has also been lambasted by left-wing groups, who accuse him of a lax response to the rising scourge of settler violence.

After Katz made the comments on Channel 14, the military said that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir would not be replacing Bluth at this time, noting that his announcement was “not coordinated” with Zamir.

“The chief of staff has no intention of replacing commanders in key positions during this sensitive period, and if such a decision is made by the chief of staff, it will be approved in accordance with procedures,” the military said in a statement.

The IDF added that “Bluth commands Central Command in a complex reality, with professionalism, courage, and dedication, and is fully trusted.”

Opposition leaders assailed Katz and the government after he made his announcement.

“The spectacle that took place on [Channel 14] was an unprecedented lowpoint in relations between the political and military echelons — an improper and unlawful act,” Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot said on X. “The State of Israel is no one’s private property, and the IDF is not a tool to be used in primaries by politicians who’ve lost their way.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is to hold primaries on August 17, at which its over 100,000 members will choose its Knesset slate ahead of the October 27 general election. Likud’s Katz is seeking a prominent placement.

Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, said the current government “is not fit to safeguard the security of the state.” He added that “very soon, the people of Israel will have worthy and responsible leadership, with Israel’s welfare and security as its sole concern.”

Together party leader Naftali Bennett said the government was acting “against its soldiers.”

“After dismantling the IDF from the outside and paving the way for mass draft evasion, the October 7 government has now decided to dismantle the IDF from within and guarantee complete chaos,” he wrote.

“Tonight, I say to every citizen of Israel, and to all IDF soldiers and commanders, both active-duty and reservists: Hold on tight — the reinforcements are on their way. Soon, we will replace them, and together we will set things right.”

MK Son Har-Melech lauded Katz for the move, declaring in her own post that Bluth had “failed in his role.”

“Instead of focusing all his energy on fighting terrorism, he chose to turn the hilltop youth and pioneers into the enemy. Under his command, settlers were repeatedly persecuted while Arab terrorism continued to grow,” she wrote.

“Furthermore, Bluth repeatedly chose to take the law into his own hands and lead a policy that contradicted the policy set by the elected political leadership.”

Meanwhile, Katz’s office claimed that Zamir had already recommended a successor for Bluth months ago.

A statement from Katz said that at the end of April, Zamir recommended Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief, “and also asked to interview him for the position.”

“The defense minister held a personal interview with Bar Kalifa in June, was impressed that he was the most suitable candidate to command the Central Command, and has now decided to announce that he has accepted the chief of staff’s recommendation and that the appointment is expected to be made in the next round of appointments,” Katz’s office said.

The statement added that “the defense minister’s policy is to promote in the IDF commanders with a proven record of aggressiveness and success.”

Only weeks ago, Bluth had said that illegal farming outposts in the West Bank “greatly strengthen security” in the territory.

Speaking at a conference organized by the so-called Farm Union in mid-July, Bluth said that the settlement farm project “aligns well with the security concept. It does not contradict it. It integrates with it, provided that this is also reflected in operational conduct, as well as ethical conduct, and in accordance with the law.”

Katz has clashed with Zamir in the past. A year ago, the two sparred publicly over senior military appointments and their respective authority over the process, in an open power struggle that saw them trade blows in the media before the dispute was eventually settled.