Primaries in the Central Command

Central Command Chief Avi Blout finds himself these days serving as a “deputy” in a production he did not choose to play in. Defense Minister Israel Katz is dragging him into a round of public sparring, intended to position Katz as “finally” a right-wing defense minister — exactly as his new campaign song declares. A fabricated AI video, accompanied by a heavy rock rhythm, drums, and background footage of IDF strikes, depicts Katz as “one who presses the button, while the Iranians say: God save us.” But it is precisely we, the viewers from the sidelines, who ask ourselves: God save us, what is going on here? Israel’s short memory is an art for politicians, but the numbers and facts speak for themselves.

Only last November, Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised Blout, defining him as “the best Central Command commander in 20–30 years.” Deputy head of the Samaria Council Davidy Ben-Zion stated that “what Avi Blout did for settlement, no politician did before him,” and the head of the Beit El Council, Shai Alon, defined the moves to remove him as “a disgrace and shame.” So how does a respected general associated with advancing dozens of outposts, security stability, determined counterterrorism, and upholding the rule of law become a target for political attacks? The answer is, of course, not professional. It is political.

Within the Likud party, a group of about 400 members from Judea and Samaria operates. Candidates in the primaries who win their support will receive significant electoral power. When their criticism regarding the handling of the attack in Tel Ma’aretz mixes with pressure from fringe elements on the hills regarding administrative detention orders, the path to the heart of the party member runs through a confrontation with the commander of the command.

But the real problem is that this drama does not end with another round of primaries. The price is not paid in the minister’s office, but in the field, in the very breath and soul of the army. As Lt. Col. (res.) Ofer Winter put it well: “A defense minister in the State of Israel does not fire a general on live broadcast.” When the defense minister does this, bypassing the Chief of Staff for immediate political gain, he does not only harm General Blout — he dismantles at its root the concept of command in the IDF and the entire chain of command.

What message does this event send to the battalion commander in Jenin, the brigade commander in Hebron, or the deputy general officer who needs to make complex command decisions under fire? Professionalism, results on the ground, integrity, and devotion to the mission no longer provide command backing. On the day of an order, narrow political calculation will decide your fate. When officers in the field understand that their future in the IDF depends not on professional ability but on background noise, the motivation to excel may crumble.

The IDF is not a party center. It is a closed hierarchical system built on discipline, absolute trust, and obedience to commanders’ instructions. This hierarchy is not a privilege. It is the only condition that allows a functioning army to fight. The moment the primaries arena invades the war room, the Chief of Staff’s ability to manage the army and maintain a properly ordered command hierarchy collapses. When the political echelon manages a public confrontation with senior commanders, when even the Chief of Staff becomes a target, officers in the field begin to calculate political routes and wonder who truly holds authority: the direct commander and the Chief of Staff, or the minister.

When the authority of a senior commander is undermined for a campaign slogan, the damage caused is not limited to the Central Command. The message seeps downward, to the last of the fighters, and erodes the most basic foundation of the military system: receiving orders and the ability to trust the top command. From here to command anarchy, the path is very short.