Defense Minister Katz Denies Calling for Central Command Chief's Dismissal, Labels Claims Political

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz strongly refuted allegations that he called for the dismissal of Central Command Chief Major General Avi Blot during a recent interview, describing the claims as "absolute lies" and part of a politically motivated campaign against the government. Katz clarified that the process to appoint Blot's successor had begun months earlier, well before the interview took place.

Katz pointed out that on April 24, it was reported that Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi had recommended Major General Dado Bar-Kalifa, head of the IDF Personnel Directorate, for the Central Command position. On July 28, Katz publicly endorsed this recommendation after interviewing Bar-Kalifa and deciding he was the most suitable candidate. Katz emphasized that the appointment process was already underway at the time of the interview.

Addressing the controversy, Katz said that during the interview, when a participant called for Blot's dismissal, he immediately responded with "No," and that the exchange was recorded. He stressed that the decision was not made as a result of the interview, but had been in motion for months. Katz accused the media of trying to divert attention from the real issues and warned against the potential appointment of Yair Golan as defense minister in a government led by Gadi Eisenkot, citing past threats by Golan to dismiss other commanders and concerns about returning to "old concept" personnel that could harm Israeli security and settlements.

Katz concluded his statement by asserting firmly, "It did not happen with me, and it will not happen."