IDF chief Zamir said to suspect Netanyahu and his family are trying to oust him

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has told senior officers and officials outside the military that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family and associates seek to dismiss him, Haaretz reports.

The report says that Zamir made the remarks during recent consultations with the General Staff Forum and figures outside the military, including former chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi.

Zamir told the officials that “the prime minister’s family marked him” after he opposed Netanyahu’s plan to conquer Gaza, the report claims.

The report says that “Zamir’s associates” believe that Defense Minister Israel Katz’s attack last night against the chief of staff for announcing a recent round of senior appointments was actually dictated by Netanyahu, because “the chief of staff was perceived as too independent in the prime minister’s eyes.”

“The chief of staff understands exactly what’s happening and does not intend to hand over the military to Netanyahu and Katz,” a source involved in the recent consultations is cited by Haaretz as saying.

The source says that Netanyahu treated the previous chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, the same way when the latter opposed his moves.

“This is exactly what they did to Herzi to turn him into a lame duck in the military,” Haaretz cites the source as saying.