Katz insists round of senior IDF appointments violates protocol, he will ‘weigh’ approving it

Defense Minister Israel Katz continues to argue that a round of senior IDF appointments announced by army chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir violates established protocol, saying he will “weigh” the list announced overnight.

“Since these are joint appointments by the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff, there is an accepted procedure for appointments of ranks colonel and up in the IDF,” Katz says in a new statement from his office. “No discussion of IDF shakeups is held before the accepted procedure is carried out.”

Katz says he has “clarified to the chief of staff that he needs more time and the discussion must not be held at this time,” adding that he will “weigh whether to promote senior officers on the Gaza front who haven’t served the accepted timeframe for their roles to other roles before the task of defeating Hamas in Gaza has been completed.”

Katz also says he will examine whether to promote officers who served as commanders on the Gaza front during the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, or whose names were linked to “irregular incidents in the past.”

“The military echelon is subordinate to the defense minister and will act in accordance with his orders and the policy he will set,” Katz adds.

Earlier, after Katz says he would not be approving the promotions because Zamir held a discussion on the matter “without prior coordination and agreement,” the military said in a statement that the “staffing discussion was scheduled in advance, in accordance with regulations,” adding: “The chief of staff decides on the appointments, after which the appointment goes to the [defense] minister for approval, who may approve or not approve the appointment.”