Despite a reconciliation meeting between Defense Minister Israel Katz and military chief of staff Eyal Zamir in the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, their feud has not subsided.
The rift continues to fuel public outrage in Israel and has led commentators to describe Netanyahu’s government as "a kindergarten."
The dispute erupted after Zamir imposed disciplinary measures on senior army officers over what he called the “major failure” to counter the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023.
Katz rejected the move, saying the decisions were announced without his knowledge.
Some warn the standoff undermines national security. Many agree it has become an arm wrestling match and a show of force, not only between the two men but between the government and the entire military and security establishment.
It also appeared that Netanyahu sought to exploit the dispute by threatening Katz’s standing inside the Likud party ahead of internal primaries and casting doubt on Zamir’s position inside the military, presenting himself as the only strong figure in the arena, one whose presence leaves no room for any other.
The latest episode unfolded on Thursday night when Netanyahu summoned both men for a reconciliation meeting.
Katz did not show up on time and told Netanyahu’s office he preferred to meet each of them separately. Netanyahu agreed, not to avoid confrontation but to stretch the political advantage for as long as possible.
Sending messages to both sides
Netanyahu has repeatedly signaled to both sides. Leaks to the media suggested he might dismiss Katz for picking fights with the army chief and treating him with roughness and arrogance bordering on humiliation.
Other leaks suggested Netanyahu believed Zamir’s appointment as chief of staff was a mistake and that Zamir was acting with excessive independence, contradicting what he had promised when he was considered for the post.
At the time, Zamir vowed to adopt an aggressive, confrontational policy in Gaza, only to show later that he was not interested in expanding the war.
As the leaks stirred political tension, counter leaks said “military circles” were behind the reports to sow discord.
Aides to Netanyahu said he does not intend to dismiss either Katz or Zamir, insisting relations with both were stable and good. Yet the effect of the threats was clear.
What caused the rift?
The feud escalated in recent days after Zamir punished generals, brigadiers and colonels who led the southern command during the Hamas attack, and drew up a list of senior army promotions without consulting the minister.
Katz responded by freezing promotions and appointing another committee to review the army’s own investigative committees and determine whether they had been professional.
Zamir insists appointments and dismissals are professional military matters that do not concern the minister. Katz sees the moves as defiance.
Netanyahu criticized Zamir for bypassing the minister, saying the “army is subordinate to the government in general and to the prime minister and defense minister in particular,” and he reprimanded Katz for “raising the level of hostility toward Zamir and the army.”
Shifting blame to the military
The newspaper Haaretz said the dispute was proof that the October 7 government led by Netanyahu is determined to place responsibility solely on the army.
It said the government was using all possible tools to do so, including undermining public confidence in the Israeli army, politicizing appointments and humiliating the chief of staff.
The paper said the goal was to blur the truth and avoid accountability for those who led the country in the years that resulted in the failure.
It added that the conflict between the defense minister and the army chief was not just personal, but part of a broader political effort to assert control over the security apparatus.
Katz, it argued, appeared to be merely a messenger for Netanyahu and his family, adding that Netanyahu wanted to do to the army what Itamar Ben Gvir was doing to the police.
Ephraim Ganor, a strategic affairs expert, told the newspaper Maariv the affair was a scandal that posed real harm to state security.
He said it was driven by the whims of a defense minister who endlessly repeats “I ordered, I said, I led, I asked, I executed,” while scattering threats in all directions.
Ganor added that if Israel had a prime minister focused on the country’s affairs, its security and future, rather than on his trial and political survival, “this shameful phenomenon would never have unfolded before the eyes of the public.”
Lapid corners Netanyahu
Meanwhile, opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would bring to a vote next week President Donald Trump’s twenty point plan aimed at resolving the Gaza crisis and securing the release of Israeli hostages.
Lapid’s move is intended to corner Netanyahu and embarrass him before the United States, since many ministers and lawmakers in the coalition oppose the plan while most opposition parties support it.
Lapid also plans to convince his opposition partner Avigdor Lieberman to back the proposal, although Lieberman currently objects to many of its provisions.
The Israeli people are grateful to US President Donald Trump for leading a courageous deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages, Lapid said, defending his initiative.
