Katz canceled the appointment of Colonel Giltman, who is originally from Ukraine, due to the officer’s participation in the protest movement “Brothers in Arms”.

On December 5, Defense Minister Israel Katz froze the appointment of reserve Colonel Herman Giltman as head of the IDF National Training Center.
The wording was harsh: the officer’s participation in the protest movement “Brothers in Arms” raises “reasonable doubts” and is incompatible with career advancement.
Katz added another line — “those who encourage unwillingness to serve will not receive a promotion.” The signal is clear, especially against the backdrop of the current political turbulence.

The decision contradicts the position of Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. He, like Netanyahu’s military secretary Roman Hoffman, supported Giltman’s return. The internal conflict in the military hierarchy became public faster than expected.

Giltman himself responded calmly.
He emphasized that he does not support refusal to serve, and since the beginning of the war, he has spent over 700 days in reserve — a figure that speaks for itself in the army. According to him, the accusations of undermining discipline are not true.

Support from the General Staff remains firm.
Major General Yaniv Asor and several other commanders stated that they are not aware of any activities by Giltman against the army. He has had a strong officer reputation for decades — and this is remembered within the system.

Giltman’s biography often sounds like an example of a classic military trajectory of a repatriate.
He was born in 1973 in Zaporizhzhia, his family was involved in cultural work, and they moved to Israel in 1990. He began studying at Tel Aviv University but paused his studies for service.
The 1992 draft brought him to the armored corps, where he quickly earned a reputation as a commander who holds the line without unnecessary words.

After completing his studies in 2000, he returned to the army: he commanded the 82nd “Gaash” Battalion, then became deputy commander of the 7th “Saar mi-Golan” Brigade. In 2013, he headed the 278th Armored Brigade.
From 2017 to 2021, he served as a military attaché in Russia and the CIS — one of the most sensitive IDF positions abroad. After retiring, he moved to Data for Business.

On December 4, Eyal Zamir announced his intention to return Giltman to service.
The initiative sparked a wave of reactions and essentially became a point of tension. Katz publicly criticized the General Staff’s move, calling it unfounded. Within the army, the minister’s decision was met with surprise: those who served alongside Giltman reminded that he repeatedly worked on key front lines and was considered one of the most reliable officers.

The story is developing in real-time. It touches not only on a specific appointment but also on larger issues: the boundaries of protest, the influence of politics on personnel decisions in the IDF, and the future of reserve service. We will monitor this process and analyze its consequences in “NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency”.