Smotrich calls for IDF chief to be reprimanded over criticism of defense minister

Smotrich told KAN, “In the US, the chief of staff would have received a phone call from Trump, [who would] fire him then and there.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich intensified criticism of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Thursday, urging steps against him over what he described as an improper challenge to Defense Minister Israel Katz.

In a radio interview with KAN Reshet B, Smotrich argued that Zamir had crossed a line by publicly confronting the minister who oversees him.

“A reality where the IDF chief releases statements attacking the minister overseeing him is inexcusable,” he said.

The clash follows several days of unusually direct exchanges between Katz and Zamir over the inquiry process into the failures surrounding the October 7 attacks.

Their dispute erupted after Katz said earlier this week that Defense Ministry Comptroller Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Volansky would review the conclusions of a panel headed by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman—an examination ordered by Zamir to assess the responsibilities of senior officers.

According to Zamir, political influence should not shape the assessment of the military’s conduct.

Katz has insisted that the defense establishment must ensure accountability is handled in a transparent and credible manner.

The disagreement has widened a rift that has been building for months, amid a freeze in senior promotions caused by Katz’s intervention in IDF appointments. The stalled process has prompted several officers to retire rather than wait for decisions on future roles.

During the interview, Smotrich said Zamir’s approach violated norms expected in countries that separate military leadership from the political chain of command. He argued that similar behavior abroad would lead to immediate consequences.

“In the US, the chief of staff would have received a phone call from Trump, [who would] fire him then and there,” he told KAN Reshet Bet.

Smotrich said basic principles guiding relations between elected officials and military commanders needed to be upheld.

“In a democracy, there are standard laws and basic codes [to follow]; the chief of staff cannot do some things that the defense minister is permitted to do,” he said, emphasizing that the minister “is an elected official, part of the political echelon.”

He dismissed claims that Katz’s position was influenced by internal political maneuvering ahead of Likud’s primary contests, saying the dispute stemmed from questions of authority rather than electoral considerations.