{
  "id": 77526,
  "title": "Defense Minister Katz rejects claims he called for IDF Central Command chief's dismissal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/defense-minister-katz-rejects-claims-he-called-for-idf-central",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-03T09:18:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-904407"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Defense Minister Israel Katz firmly denied allegations on Monday that he had called for the dismissal of IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, dismissing the claim as an outright lie linked to a political campaign against the government. In a Sunday live interview with Channel 14's \"The Patriots,\" Katz affirmed, \"When one of the participants called for the general [Bluth]'s dismissal, I responded immediately and clearly: 'No.'\" He emphasized that the exchange was documented on camera, providing clear evidence of his stance.Katz clarified that the appointment process for IDF Manpower Directorate Chief Maj.-Gen. Dado Bar Khalifa to lead Central Command had been ongoing for months, rendering any suggestion that his dismissal was a result of a single interview as untenable. He dismissed the controversy as a media tactic to divert attention from a more pressing issue: the potential consequences of Yair Golan becoming defense minister in a government led by Gadi Eisenkot, should Golan follow through on his threats to dismiss Shin Bet chief David Zini.Katz's broader stance, as articulated during the interview, centered on Bluth's handling of settler violence in the West Bank. He criticized Bluth for being overly harsh in addressing settler violence while simultaneously underestimating the threat of Palestinian terrorism emanating from the same region. Katz asserted that his decision to retain Bluth was based on his assessment of Bluth's performance, specifically citing Bluth's failure to adequately manage extremist settler violence.Katz's assertion was made without coordination from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who has stated that no decision to remove Bluth is imminent and that such a decision would necessitate Zamir's approval in line with established protocols. Katz's office released a statement asserting that IDF Chief of Staff Zamir had recommended the appointment of Bar Khalifa to lead Central Command as early as the end of April. Katz maintained that his decision followed this recommendation, and Bar Khalifa was deemed a suitable candidate for the role.",
  "summary": "Katz said the appointment process for IDF Personnel Directorate head Maj.-Gen. Dado Bar Khalifa to Central Command commander had already been underway for months.",
  "key_points": [
    "Defense Minister Katz denied allegations of calling for IDF Central Command chief's dismissal.",
    "Katz affirmed his stance against dismissal during Channel 14 interview.",
    "Katz cited Bluth's handling of settler violence as justification for retaining him."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/77526.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}