Dardik\u2019s arrest has generated protests among West Bank settlers, including far-right Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, who have urged Katz and Bluth to release Dardik.<\/p>\n
\t A week ago, Dardik\u2019s restraining order was repealed on a technicality, and Katz instructed Bluth not to renew it. He said Bluth and the Military Advocate General\u2019s Corps had filed an appeal to the court against the release of Dardik, \u201ccontrary to my policy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey did it against my position. It was the wrong step. [The IDF\u2019s West Bank commander] must take my policy into account, and I will insist on this,\u201d Katz told Channel 14.<\/p>\n \t Katz declared that he had decided to appoint IDF Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief, live on TV.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I also want, in the Central Command, an IDF that strives for decisive victory, strikes its enemies, and protects the settlers,\u201d he said. He also boasted that his \u201ccontrol over the [military] system is absolute.\u201d<\/p>\n Bluth has been Central Command chief for over two years, since July 2024. The role is normally held for two to three years. He has faced criticism from hard-right settlers for speaking out<\/a> against settler hooliganism and \u201cJewish terrorism\u201d in the West Bank. Far-right figures allege he is soft on Palestinian terror while unfairly targeting settlers.<\/p>\n At the same time, Bluth has also been lambasted by left-wing groups, who accuse him of a lax response to the rising scourge of settler violence.<\/p>\n After Katz made the comments on Channel 14, the military said that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir would not be replacing Bluth at this time, noting that his announcement was \u201cnot coordinated\u201d with Zamir.<\/p>\n \u201cThe chief of staff has no intention of replacing commanders in key positions during this sensitive period, and if such a decision is made by the chief of staff, it will be approved in accordance with procedures,\u201d the military said in a statement.<\/p>\n The IDF added that \u201cBluth commands Central Command in a complex reality, with professionalism, courage, and dedication, and is fully trusted.\u201d<\/p>\n Opposition leaders assailed Katz and the government after he made his announcement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe spectacle that took place on [Channel 14] was an unprecedented lowpoint in relations between the political and military echelons \u2014 an improper and unlawful act,\u201d Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot said on X. \u201cThe State of Israel is no one\u2019s private property, and the IDF is not a tool to be used in primaries by politicians who\u2019ve lost their way.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s Likud party is to hold primaries on August 17, at which its over 100,000 members will choose its Knesset slate ahead of the October 27 general election. Likud\u2019s Katz is seeking a prominent placement.<\/p>\n Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, said the current government \u201cis not fit to safeguard the security of the state.\u201d He added that \u201cvery soon, the people of Israel will have worthy and responsible leadership, with Israel\u2019s welfare and security as its sole concern.\u201d<\/p>\n Together party leader Naftali Bennett said the government was acting \u201cagainst its soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n \t \u201cAfter dismantling the IDF from the outside and paving the way for mass draft evasion, the October 7 government has now decided to dismantle the IDF from within and guarantee complete chaos,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cTonight, I say to every citizen of Israel, and to all IDF soldiers and commanders, both active-duty and reservists: Hold on tight \u2014 the reinforcements are on their way. Soon, we will replace them, and together we will set things right.\u201d<\/p>\n MK Son Har-Melech lauded Katz for the move, declaring in her own post that Bluth had \u201cfailed in his role.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of focusing all his energy on fighting terrorism, he chose to turn the hilltop youth and pioneers into the enemy. Under his command, settlers were repeatedly persecuted while Arab terrorism continued to grow,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cFurthermore, Bluth repeatedly chose to take the law into his own hands and lead a policy that contradicted the policy set by the elected political leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Katz\u2019s office claimed that Zamir had already recommended a successor for Bluth months ago.<\/p>\n A statement from Katz said that at the end of April, Zamir recommended Bar Kalifa as the next Central Command chief, \u201cand also asked to interview him for the position.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe defense minister held a personal interview with Bar Kalifa in June, was impressed that he was the most suitable candidate to command the Central Command, and has now decided to announce that he has accepted the chief of staff\u2019s recommendation and that the appointment is expected to be made in the next round of appointments,\u201d Katz\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n \t The statement added that \u201cthe defense minister\u2019s policy is to promote in the IDF commanders with a proven record of aggressiveness and success.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F260220CG117.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tIDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth watches as Palestinians pass through the Qalandia checkpoint on their way to attend Ramadan prayers at Jerusalem\u2019s Al-Aqsa Mosque, February 20, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DUAL-yyu1.jpeg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tLeft: Defense Minister Israel Katz (L) in Jerusalem, May 31, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon\/Flash90); right: Tal Yinon Dardik (Courtesy)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F260727AVS617-e1785358152317.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tYashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, at a campaign conference of at the Darom HaSharon Regional Council building in central Israel, July 27, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F260722YS23-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tFormer prime minister and head of the Together party Naftali Bennett visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City, during Tisha B\u2019Av, July 22, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp_Image_2026-05-03_at_16.29.34-640x400.jpeg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tIDF Personnel Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa speaks with new Haredi soldiers at the Tel Hashomer base, May 3, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n