War-Time Rift: Katz and Zamir Clash Over Senior IDF Appointments

Hours before Israeli forces were set to push deeper into Gaza City, a fierce dispute erupted between Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, this time over the appointment of senior military commanders.

What is typically a routine process, as the chief of staff selects officers for promotion and the defense minister gives a formal sign-off, turned into a political and personal standoff, complete with late-night public statements and accusations over protocol breaches.

According to defense officials, Zamir had sought since Friday to brief Katz on a round of promotions for officers at the ranks of brigadier general and colonel. Katz did not respond, and when Zamir arrived at the minister’s office on Monday to present the list, the meeting never took place. Associates of Katz say the visit was unannounced and that 15 minutes was insufficient for a substantive discussion. Zamir’s camp insists he was invited.

The tipping point for Katz came when details of the appointments became public before he had been updated. He issued a midnight statement accusing Zamir of holding the discussion “without coordination or prior agreement” and warning he would not approve any of the names put forward.

Zamir responded through the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, saying the meeting “was scheduled in advance, in accordance with procedures,” and stressing the importance of promoting battlefield commanders in an orderly manner. The statement also reminded that the chief of staff “is the sole authority” to appoint commanders from the rank of colonel upward, with final approval by the minister.

An hour later, the army published its official summary of the appointments, explicitly noting they were “subject to the defense minister’s approval.”

Katz’s office fired back Tuesday morning, outlining what it described as the “accepted procedure,” in which the chief of staff meets the minister to present multiple candidates for each role, explaining his reasoning, before the minister finalizes policy and grants approval. The statement ended with a pointed reminder of the chain of command:

“The military echelon is subordinate to the defense minister and will act according to his directives and policies.”

The appointments now await Katz’s formal approval, a decision that may hinge less on the candidates themselves and more on resolving an escalating test of wills at the top of Israel’s defense establishment.