From the Liveblog of
Monday, November 24, 2025
Gantz backs Zamir as IDF chief challenged by Katz
Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz voices strong support for IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir for taking “a difficult and necessary step” by holding commanders accountable for their roles on October 7, 2023.
“I want to back Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who imposed and demanded personal responsibility from commanders. This is the role of the chief of staff,” Gantz says ahead of a faction meeting.
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Eyal to call his brothers-in-arms of decades and hold them accountable and impose sanctions, but this is necessary for the IDF and for the country,” says Gantz, himself a former chief of staff.
The remarks come amid a broader conflict between Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz over the promotions of top military officers, and as Katz ordered the defense establishment comptroller to re-evaluate the findings made by an external panel of former senior officers, and accepted by Zamir, that looked into the IDF’s investigations into October 7.
The Times of Israel Community.