Zamir also accused Katz of political interference<\/a> and harming the military\u2019s preparedness by freezing senior promotions \u2014 which the defense minister must approve \u2014 for 30 days.<\/p>\n While reports on Monday said Netanyahu had intended to summon both Zamir and Katz for a meeting, he eventually opted to first meet Katz alone, and then sit down alone with Zamir.<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s reports said that a three-way meeting was unlikely to be held over the matter, with some speculating that Katz may have refused to attend such a meeting.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition \t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Some outlets reported that in the meetings, Netanyahu demanded that Katz and Zamir lower the public flames and get their spat off national news headlines. In one unsourced report, the Israel Hayom daily said Netanyahu is considering replacing Katz with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar<\/p>\n \u201cIt is best not to listen to briefings to journalists by interested parties,\u201d Netanyahu\u2019s office said in a statement Tuesday. \u201cThe prime minister is determined to solve the issues, and will solve them in the best way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Katz has been fighting a months-long, escalating campaign<\/a> against Zamir over senior IDF appointments by selectively promoting officers and denying the appointments of others with whom he apparently does not see eye to eye. Some military officials have warned that Katz is attempting to politicize the army by taking control of senior appointments.<\/p>\n In his statement on Monday, Zamir argued that the report prepared by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman and other former senior officers regarding October 7 \u201cwas defined from the outset for the chief of staff\u2019s use, to examine the quality of investigations and integrative lessons-learned processes in the IDF, and not for political use.\u201d<\/p>\n \t He defended the report and called Katz\u2019s decision to re-investigate its findings \u201cpuzzling.\u201d He said Turgeman\u2019s team \u201cheard more than hundreds of testimonies, conducted in-depth examinations, and carried out a professional process.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn alternative 30-day review by the defense establishment comptroller, with no disrespect to him, is irrelevant,\u201d Zamir said, after Katz announced that Defense Establishment Comptroller Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Volansky would submit a review of Turgeman\u2019s report within a month.<\/p>\n \u201cThe IDF is the only body in the country that thoroughly investigated its own failures and took responsibility for them,\u201d Zamir continued, in an apparent jab at political leaders, including Netanyahu, who have largely refused to take responsibility for the failures surrounding October 7.<\/p>\n \u201cIf any further review is required to complete the picture, it must take the form of an external, objective and independent committee\u201d that will look into topics including \u201cthe interface between the military and political echelons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The chief of staff said Katz\u2019s decision to freeze promotions in the IDF for 30 days \u201charms the IDF\u2019s capability and its readiness process for upcoming challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Katz had announced his decision a day after Zamir dismissed<\/a> several senior officers and censured others\u00a0for their roles in the October 7 failures, based on Turgeman\u2019s probe<\/a>, which found the IDF\u2019s own investigations into its failures inadequate or unacceptable.<\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate the chief of staff, who knows well that he is subordinate to the prime minister, the defense minister and the government of Israel,\u201d Katz said in a statement on Monday responding to Zamir. \u201cI do not intend to argue through the media.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe defense establishment comptroller will submit his conclusions within 30 days, and only afterward will I formulate my decisions on the appointments, as required by my role and authority,\u201d Katz added.<\/p>\n Since he became defense minister in late 2024, Katz has canceled the appointments of several senior officers chosen by Zamir and his predecessor, Herzi Halevi. Some of the promotion hold-ups were met with puzzlement in the military.<\/p>\n Katz also delayed the promotion of dozens of colonels and brigadier generals for weeks, claiming that they had been made by Zamir without consultation. He also\u00a0has\u00a0yet to rule on the appointments for three major general roles, with the officers currently staffing them nearing the end of their tenures.<\/p>\n Typically, senior appointments, aside from those of top generals, are brought to the defense minister for approval following internal IDF meetings on the matter. Katz has falsely claimed that, by law, he is responsible for senior promotions in the military.<\/p>\n Katz publicly slammed the military chief in August for announcing a list of senior appointments, claiming Zamir had done so without consulting him. At the end of the month, the two announced that they had reached an understanding on the army\u2019s appointment process, though the feud resurfaced this week.<\/p>\n Sam Sokol and Ariela Karmel contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits IDF troops in Syria, joined by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet Director David Zini, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yehiel Leiter, and other senior IDF officers, November 19, 2025. (Kobi Gideon\/GPO)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-09-at-16.45.10-640x400.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tIDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (left) and Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman (right) present Defense Minister Israel Katz (center) with the findings made by a panel of former senior officers tasked with evaluating the military\u2019s probes into the October 7 attack, on November 9, 2025. (Ariel Hermoni\/Defense Ministry)<\/p>\n
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