Amichai Segal Criticizes Defense Minister Katz for Publicly Announcing Central Command Replacement

Israeli defense analyst Amichai Segal sharply criticized Defense Minister Israel Katz for publicly announcing the replacement of Central Command Chief Major General Avi Blot with Major General Dado Bar-Kalifa during a live broadcast. Segal condemned the manner of the announcement, stating that regardless of whether it was a dismissal or a routine replacement, the public and live nature of the declaration was inappropriate. He emphasized that even if there were criticisms of Blot's performance, the defense minister should not behave in such a disrespectful way, noting, "Even if Major General Blot secretly supported 'Peace Now,' there are things one does not do."

Segal argued that the defense minister must maintain proper conduct and separate the military from politics, which does not include making such announcements on television. He suggested considering the hypothetical scenario if a different defense minister, such as Yair Golan, had made a similar public announcement about Blot, implying it would have caused uproar. Additionally, Segal criticized members of the political opposition who had previously made similar public criticisms of security officials, calling for consistency and an end to hypocrisy. He stressed that protecting long-serving state officials should apply universally to avoid perceptions of political bias.