Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday fired his popular defense minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country was engulfed in hostilities in many parts of the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu avoided taking shots at his rival. Netanyahu cited “huge gaps” and a “trust crisis” between the men in his announcement on Tuesday evening.
“During war, more than ever, there is a need for complete trust between the prime minister and the defense minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was so much trust and there was a fruitful work, in the last months this trust broke down between me and the minister of defense.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a united front as it responded to the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, important policy differences have emerged.
While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant has taken a more pragmatic approach, saying the military has made the necessary conditions for at least a temporary deal that would bring hostages held by the group.
Most of the families of the hostages, as well as tens of thousands of people who joined the anti-government protests, accused Netanyahu of scrapping the deal to stay in power. Netanyahu's allies have threatened to undermine the government if he makes a deal with Hamas, risking new elections at a time when the prime minister's popularity is low.
Get daily world news
Get the day's top news, politics, economics, and current affairs, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Opposition groups have called for mass protests on Tuesday. A grassroots forum representing the families of the abductees said Gallant's dismissal was “advancement of 'efforts' to end the abduction deal.” It called on the new defense minister, Israel Katz, to make a “clear commitment” to end the war and reach an agreement to bring their loved ones home.
The dismissal comes at a critical time. The Israeli army is still stuck in Gaza, a year after attacking the area, and the Israeli army is continuing to attack Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon for a month. Israel has also clashed with Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and faces the prospect of another Iranian strike. Iran has vowed to retaliate for the Israeli strike that followed the Iranian missile attack on Oct. 1, itself a retaliation for earlier Israeli attacks on targets linked to Iran.
Israel's Channel 12 TV said Netanyahu's decision was prompted by Gallant's decision this week to send thousands of draft notices to young Orthodox men.
Under a long-standing and controversial provision, religious men are exempt from military service, which is compulsory for many Jews. The plan has caused great outrage among the majority of the country, and Israel's Supreme Court has ordered the government to remove the plan. Netanyahu, whose coalition depends on the Orthodox parties, has not carried out this order.
Channel 13 TV said Netanyahu also took advantage of the US election, when America's attention is focused elsewhere, to oust his rival.
Gallant, a former general who gained public respect for his brutal, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the land of Israel has always been my life's work, and it will always be my work.”
Gallant wore a simple black button-down shirt throughout the war as a sign of grief for the October 7 attack and formed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Netanyahu's previous attempt to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of sacking Gallant in the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Katz, in his place, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and cabinet minister.
Katz, 69, has been a junior military officer for decades and has no military experience, although he has been a key member of Netanyahu's Security Cabinet over the years. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who returned to government in September, will take over the foreign affairs position.
Netanyahu has a long history of eliminating his opponents. In his statement, he said he made “many attempts” to close the gaps with Gallant.
But they keep getting wider. They also gained access to public information in an unacceptable way, and worse, they gained access to the enemy's information – our enemies enjoyed it and gained a lot from it,” he said.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
