Defense Minister Katz Announces Live Dismissal of Central Command Chief Avi Blot

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced live on Channel 14 the dismissal of Major General Avi Blot, the head of the IDF Central Command. The military has remained silent so far, but sources indicate that the Defense Minister is expected to clarify his remarks. According to military insiders, Katz has long been dissatisfied with Blot, having expressed criticism both directly to him and to Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. However, this is the first time such criticism has been made public against a serving general who has just been assigned a successor and plans to seek further positions within the General Staff.

Katz and Chief of Staff Zamir recently agreed that Major General Dado Bar-Kalifa, currently head of the Personnel Directorate, will replace Blot. The decision has sparked political backlash, notably from Naftali Bennett, chairman of the "Together" party, who condemned the move as part of a broader effort by the "October 7 government" to dismantle the IDF from within, following previous external weakening. Bennett called on Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers to remain strong ahead of upcoming elections, promising that "reinforcements are on the way" and that the government will soon be replaced to restore order.