'It is his right, duty to express his opinion': Katz defends Zamir in response to PM's son

Yahoo

a day ago

'As the defense minister appointed by the government to oversee the IDF, it is my responsibility to ensure things are carried out - and so they will be.'
Defense Minister Israel Katz responded on Wednesday morning to the prime minister's son, Yair Netanyahu, who accused Katz of insisting on the appointment of the current IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, in a Tuesday tweet.
Katz clarified his position, aligned himself with the IDF, and expressed support for the chief of staff's professional conduct in confronting the political echelon over the occupation of the Gaza Strip.
He emphasized: 'It is the chief of staff's right and duty to express his position in the appropriate forums, and after the political leadership makes decisions, the IDF will implement them resolutely and professionally - as it has done until now in all arenas - until the war's objectives are achieved.'
Yair Netanyahu had responded to a tweet by Yedioth Ahronoth military correspondent Yossi Yehoshua, who called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explain to the Israeli public the potential costs of such a move, especially in light of the reported opposition within the IDF.
'If the person who dictated your tweet is who we all think it is, this is a rebellion and an attempted military coup, something fitting of a banana republic in Central America in the 1970s. And it is completely criminal,' alluding to Zamir.
Later in the exchange, when another user noted that Zamir was appointed by his father, he shifted the blame to Katz. According to him, Katz was the one who pushed for Zamir's appointment as chief of staff, insisted on it, and was also responsible for formulating the list of candidates.
Katz said that, "as reported, I recommended Eyal Zamir for the position of IDF chief of staff, and the prime minister and the government approved my recommendation,' Katz said.
'I believed that at the crossroads the IDF was facing, he was the most suitable candidate to build and operate the force against the many security challenges before us, due to his strategic worldview, capabilities, and extensive experience.'
IDF successes under Zamir's leadership
'Under his leadership, together with the IDF's brave commanders and soldiers, and under the guidance of the political echelon, the IDF is operating offensively and forcefully in Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, Gaza, and other arenas—and led an unprecedented, stunning, and victorious strike against Iran.
"Operation Gideon's Chariots achieved significant gains against Hamas in Gaza. Entire areas were captured and cleared of terrorists and terror infrastructure, both above and below ground, which for the first time were completely destroyed.'
Katz said that Hamas's refusal to release the hostages necessitates new decisions on how to advance the war's objectives: 'The elimination of Hamas while creating the conditions for the release of the hostages and ensuring the safety of Israeli communities, now and forever.'
'As the defense minister appointed by the government to oversee the IDF, it is my responsibility to ensure things are carried out - and so they will be,' Katz concluded.
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