IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir will hold discussions on reassignments to various positions in the army on Thursday, in contradiction to Defense Minister Israel Katz's decision to suspend any IDF appointments for 30 days, the military confirmed to Walla on Wednesday.
Katz recommended suspending the discussions, arguing that they could only take place after the Defense Ministry comptroller reviews the probes from November that led to penalties against commanders over failures that occurred during Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
This probe would be held specifically over the Turgeman committee, which was published in February and served as a basis for the latest investigation. Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yair Wolanski is in charge of evaluating the committee’s handling of materials and omissions, including the “Jericho Wall” document.
The comptroller will also revisit any inquiries the committee marked as incomplete or insufficient and advise on whether further fact-finding is required.
Zamir, Katz clash over probes
The tension between Zamir and Katz exploded in November, when the defense minister claimed to be upset that Zamir had not vetted his decisions on each IDF General Staff official with him beforehand.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mediated between the two in separate meetings after failing to hold a three-way meeting.
Netanyahu "made a mistake" in appointing Zamir to his position, sources close to the prime minister said, according to reports by Israel's public broadcaster KAN News.
On the other hand, sources also pointed out the possibility that Katz would be demoted by Netanyahu from his position, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar replacing him. At the same time, Eli Cohen would become the new foreign minister.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this story.