IDF names new Central Command chief amid ongoing friction over West Bank policy

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has approved the appointment of new head of the IDF's Central Command, responsible for the West Bank, as part of a broader deal involving numerous senior appointments with Defense Minister Israel Katz. Maj.-Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, presently the head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate, will assume the role in January, replacing Maj.-Gen.

Avi Bluth. While Zamir has softened his stance against making changes at the major-general level before a new government takes office in 2027, Bar Kalifa's appointment will not occur until after January 2027, allowing Zamir to maintain his position in a conflict with Katz.

Katz expressed his intention to appoint Bar Kalifa as the new Central Command head during a live interview with Channel 14's "The Patriots" on August 3. Zamir responded by rebuking Katz and asserting that he would not permit such a change, claiming Katz lacked the authority to remove Bluth without his approval. This dispute arose as Katz had frequently limited the IDF central commander's resources for combating Jewish extremist violence against innocent Palestinians, despite the two previously working together to address Palestinian terror.

Katz claimed that he believed Bluth was overly stringent in his approach to combat Jewish extremist violence.

The defense minister attempted to maneuver by stating that Zamir had recommended Bar Kalifa as the Central Command commander as early as the end of April. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet criticized the move, warning that the October 7 government desired to dismantle the IDF from within, causing chaos. He promised the public and IDF soldiers and reservists that reinforcements were forthcoming, with the goal of replacing current personnel and rectifying the situation.

While some in the Israeli defense establishment view Bluth as excessively harsh, others accuse Katz of restricting his authority. In fact, Jewish extremist violence has escalated since Katz assumed the defense minister's position and dismantled administrative detention for Jews. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has largely avoided the issue, has since condemned Jewish extremist violence in Judea and Samaria, though Katz has largely focused on his political standing within the Likud and attempted to shift blame onto the police.

Experts, however, argue that this approach may be unworkable as the IDF remains present in the West Bank to handle Palestinian terror.