IDF sources advised The ‘Publish’ that the assembly clarified which appointments are already in consensus between the 2 high protection officers.
Protection Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Employees Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir issued a joint assertion on Tuesday, saying that that they had met to debate appointing new brigadier-generals and colonels, that are senior ranks beneath the IDF’s excessive command degree.
On the one hand, their assembly represents actual progress towards resolving the appointments dispute that erupted between them two weeks in the past.
Then once more, the official assertion offered virtually no particulars in regards to the particular appointments or the anticipated course of or time-frame for approving future promotions.
Nonetheless, IDF sources advised The Jerusalem Publish that the assembly did make clear which appointments are already in consensus between the 2 high protection officers and which appointments might be debated and will even lead Katz to press Zamir to achieve a special resolution.
Protection Minister Israel Katz with IDF troopers within the West Financial institution; illustrative. (credit score: SCREENSHOT/X/ISRAEL KATZ)
In that vein, IDF sources stay unsure in regards to the protection minister’s time-frame for last approvals, particularly.
The dispute broke out in opposition to the backdrop of a a lot bigger and extra important one between Zamir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The truth is, this appointments dispute has nothing to do with new appointees or the connection between the 2 males.
How one disagreement created friction
Each received alongside nice for an entire 12 months in two separate capacities till the chief of employees contradicted Netanyahu’s narrative, which is in favor of invading Gaza Metropolis and doubtlessly taking up your entire enclave.
Following Zamir’s “sin” of talking his thoughts a couple of new coverage that the majority protection officers consider will both result in the deaths of the remaining hostages, the deaths of many extra troopers and Palestinian civilians – harming Israel’s legitimacy with out actually weakening Hamas within the course of – or the entire above, he appeared to have changed into the prime minister’s principal scapegoat.
This was principally pulling out the identical playbook that Netanyahu and Katz used to pummel Zamir’s predecessor, Herzi Halevi.
This time, it occurred quicker than it did with Halevi.
It occurred earlier than Zamir had really made any errors that anybody may attribute to him, shortly after he spearheaded a historic win in opposition to Iran and conquered 75% of Gaza, and despite the fact that he was Netanyahu’s high decide (among the many a number of causes as to why the prime minister by no means preferred Halevi was that Benny Gantz had picked him).
The positions at stake will not be sometimes ones the place the protection minister weighs in. Normally, he weighs in additional on excessive command appointments, however these are beneath that degree, and whoever is in Katz’s place normally simply indicators off.
Primarily, the reason being that these officers are normally too far down the army meals chain for a protection minister to have gotten to know any of them or their rivals in any significant method.
In distinction, the IDF chief makes it his job to get to know colonels and better, in addition to lieutenant colonels and above.
When Katz blocked Halevi’s appointments, it was to power Halevi to publish the October 7 IDF failures report and to compel him to resign.
However the report has been out since February.
Katz didn’t request any new important resignations after the announcement, apart from Halevi, then-IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, and the IDF Southern Command chief on the time, Yaron Finkelman – all of whom resigned voluntarily.
All the officers that Zamir needs to advertise have been key to Israeli victories in opposition to Hamas and others since October 7.
They’re exactly the form of battle-hardened officers one would look forward to finding in main positions.
This isn’t the primary time {that a} protection minister has clashed with an IDF chief of employees over appointments. When Ehud Barak clashed with Gabi Ashkenazi as protection minister vs the IDF chief of employees over public credit score for being Israel’s “Mr. Safety,” he blocked some appointments.
And as soon as once more, Katz used this course of to oust Halevi, however Halevi had the October 7 failure hanging over him.
Concerning Katz’s preliminary declare that Zamir did not seek the advice of with him, it later emerged that the IDF chief had tried to satisfy with Katz in regards to the challenge however was stonewalled.
