From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 2, 2026
‘An unprecedented lowpoint’: Opposition blasts Katz for attempting to remove IDF commander unilaterally
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Opposition leaders assail the government after Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on live TV that he was replacing IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, though he does not have the authority to do so.
“The spectacle that took place on [Channel 14] was an unprecedented lowpoint in relations between the political and military echelons — an improper and unlawful act,” Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot says on X. “The State of Israel is no one’s private property, and the IDF is not a tool to be used in primaries by politicians who’ve lost their way.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is to hold primaries on August 17, at which its over 100,000 members will choose its Knesset slate ahead of the October 27 general election. Likud’s Katz is seeking a prominent placement.
Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, says the current government “is not fit to safeguard the security of the state.” He adds that “very soon, the people of Israel will have worthy and responsible leadership, with Israel’s welfare and security as its sole concern.”
Together party leader Naftali Bennett says the government is acting “against its soldiers.”
“After dismantling the IDF from the outside and paving the way for mass draft evasion, the October 7 government has now decided to dismantle the IDF from within and guarantee complete chaos,” he writes. “Tonight, I say to every citizen of Israel, and to all IDF soldiers and commanders, both active-duty and reservists: Hold on tight — the reinforcements are on their way. Soon, we will replace them, and together we will set things right.”
The Times of Israel Community.