New IDF Central Command chief appointed in broader deal between Zamir and Katz

Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa will take charge of the IDF’s Central Command in January 2027, placing him in command of the military’s West Bank operations. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir approved the appointment in a broader arrangement with Defense Minister Israel Katz involving dozens of senior posts.

Bar Kalifa currently heads the IDF Manpower Directorate. He will replace Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, whose relationship with Katz had become a point of contention. Katz had criticized Bluth as too harsh in efforts to combat Jewish extremist violence against Palestinians, while both men remained aligned in confronting Palestinian terrorism.

The appointment also reflects a dispute over authority and timing. Zamir had previously said he would not make major-general or General Staff appointments before a new government was formed in 2027 because of the elections. Katz announced his intention to appoint Bar Kalifa during a Channel 14 interview on Aug. 3, prompting Zamir to reject the move and say Katz could not remove Bluth without his approval.

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After it finished dismantling the IDF from the outside and ensuring mass draft evasion, the October 7 government has decided to dismantle the IDF from the inside and ensure total chaos.

The January start date allows Zamir to argue that he maintained his position in the dispute, even as he backed away from a blanket refusal to make senior changes. Katz, meanwhile, appeared to approve the wider group of appointments, which he might otherwise have used to pressure Zamir.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett condemned the leadership conflict at the time, accusing the government of damaging the IDF and promising that “reinforcements are on the way.”

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Reinforcements are on the way.