IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir arrived Monday at the office of Defense Minister Israel Katz in an attempt to finalize a list of military appointments that has fueled a sharp dispute between the two. The Minister’s secretary informed him that Katz was unavailable.
Military sources claimed Zamir had come for a pre-scheduled meeting but was told the Minister was busy. Katz’s office countered that the Chief of Staff had been informed in advance that the Minister was unavailable, yet chose to arrive regardless.
Channel 12 News reported that a meeting between Katz and Zamir had been set for last Thursday, during which Katz planned to review the proposed appointments. However, the Chief of Staff’s office canceled that meeting.
On Friday, Zamir’s aide requested a 15-minute meeting from the Defense Minister’s office. The request was rejected, with the Ministry indicating it was insufficient for a thorough discussion of the matter.
Katz’s office also asked the Chief of Staff to delay publication of the conclusions regarding the appointments until Thursday, when a formal meeting was set to take place.
According to the report, Katz ultimately learned of the appointments from the media after the IDF began leaking names to reporters on Monday night.