IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is expected to announce Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa as the next commander of the IDF Central Command, according to senior military sources cited by Walla.
Bar Kalifa currently serves as head of the IDF Personnel Directorate and previously commanded the 36th Division during the height of the war. The expected appointment comes as the IDF General Staff holds a series of discussions over assignments for senior officers.
The anticipated announcement has raised questions among senior IDF officials because Zamir had previously decided not to make new senior appointments until the beginning of 2027 due to the election period. That policy recently resulted in a temporary appointment, rather than a permanent one, for the head of the Civil Administration.
The issue of Central Command leadership became particularly contentious earlier this month when Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly announced that Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth would be replaced. The IDF responded at the time that Katz’s announcement had not been coordinated with Zamir and stressed that the chief of staff had no intention of replacing Bluth during the sensitive period.
However, Katz’s office subsequently said that Zamir had already recommended Bar Kalifa for the Central Command position at the end of April and asked the defense minister to interview him. Katz interviewed Bar Kalifa in June and concluded that he was the most suitable candidate for the position.
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