Katz reprimands IDF intel chief for warning discourse on Trump’s Gaza plan could prompt violence
Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder clarifies to defense minister he didn’t speak out against plan, but warned of potential West Bank violence, especially during Ramadan, as his role requires
Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on Friday to reprimand the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, after he reportedly warned during a military assessment meeting about potential security risks relating to US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip and displace its population.
Binder said later Friday that he had clarified to Katz that he took no stance on the plan itself, but rather warned that its unveiling, and the discussion surrounding it, could prompt an escalation of violence against Israel by enemy forces, and that it was his obligation to raise such concerns.
On Thursday evening Channel 13 news reported that during a closed military assessment of Trump’s plan to move Gazans out of the Strip for it to be rebuilt — an idea overwhelmingly rejected by Palestinians and the Arab world –Binder warned of potential enemy violence, including an escalation in the West Bank, resulting from the discussion of Trump’s plan. According to the report, Binder warned specifically about the upcoming holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which tends to be a volatile time of year.
The report noted that Binder did not express any sentiment for or against Trump’s plan, but rather only warned about the potential violent consequences of the discourse and urged preparations for such a scenario.
Katz apparently viewed matters differently.
“There will be no reality in which IDF officers speak out against US President Trump’s important plan regarding Gaza, and against the directives of the political echelon,” Katz said in a statement.
“I ordered the IDF to prepare to advance the plan for the voluntary departure of Gaza residents who would be interested in leaving to various places in the world, and that is exactly what the IDF is required to do and will do,” the defense minister added, even though the military hasn’t been reported to be pushing back against that instruction.
In recent weeks, Katz has repeatedly clashed with the IDF, especially its outgoing chief Halevi.
Responding later on Friday, Binder said he clarified to Katz that he did not speak out against Trump’s plans.
“I spoke with the Defense Minister, and I clarified that I did not speak out against the Trump plan and that the IDF, and therefore I too, are subordinate to the political echelon and will follow its instructions,” Binder said in a rare statement issued by the military.
“By virtue of my role, I presented the possible implications of the discourse on the subject, the enemy’s view from a security perspective, and recommendations for offensive activity accordingly,” he added.
In a statement Thursday, Katz welcomed Trump’s “courageous plan, which could enable a wide swath of the population in Gaza to leave to various places around the world.”
He said he had ordered the military to prepare a plan by which any resident who wants to can emigrate to any nation willing to take them in. The plan would provide for exits through land crossings, as well as “special arrangements” for departure via maritime and aerial routes, he said.
“Gaza’s residents should be allowed the freedom to exit and emigrate, as is the practice anywhere around the world,” Katz suggested, adding that Trump’s plan could advance “rehabilitation plans in a demilitarized Gaza that poses no threat in the post-Hamas era, which will take many years.”
Taking aim at countries critical of Israel throughout the war, Katz suggested potential destinations such as Spain, Ireland, Norway and other countries that have leveled “false accusations” against Israel, saying those nations would be “legally obligated” to consent and arguing that if they refuse to accept Palestinians, “their hypocrisy will be exposed.”
Spain and Ireland rejected that notion later Thursday.
Trump’s bombshell proposal, which was scant on details, sent shockwaves through much of the world on Tuesday, including among many in his own Republican party, and reports suggested he had kept it secret and not discussed it with most senior administration officials.
By Wednesday, several top US officials sought to walk back some aspects of Trump’s comments, saying the removal would only be temporary, though Trump had said he hoped Gazans “wouldn’t want to return” to Gaza if they were set up in new homes elsewhere in the world.
On Thursday, Trump said his plan envisions Israel handing control of Gaza to the US when the fighting ends, adding that the reconstruction wouldn’t require American troops to enter the Strip.
Netanyahu himself was reportedly told about the plan by Trump just shortly before their Tuesday press conference. But he has since seemed to embrace it in public comments.
