Netanyahu fires Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, replacing him with Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday, amid long-standing public animosity between Gallant and Netanyahu, even as Israel wages a multi-front war against Iran and its terrorist proxies.

In a video message, Netanyahu said: “Unfortunately, although in the first months (of the war) there was trust (between him and Gallant) and very fruitful work, in recent months the trust between me and the Minister of Defense has been undermined.”

Netanyahu noted “significant differences” between the ministers’ views on how to fight Israel’s parallel wars, which were “accompanied by statements and actions that run counter to government and cabinet decisions.”

“I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they grew larger. They became known to the public in an unacceptable way, and what’s worse, the enemy found out about it,” Netanyahu said.

In his own statement, Gallant said: “The security of the State of Israel has always been and always will be (his) life’s mission.”

As Secretary of Defense, Gallant developed close ties with senior Defense Department officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In recent months, Gallant has become the Biden administration’s main communications channel with the Netanyahu government, thanks in large part to frayed connections between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden.

A White House National Security Council spokesman said: “Secretary Gallant has been an important partner on all matters related to the defense of Israel. As close partners, we will continue to cooperate with Israel’s next Defense Minister. We refer you to the Israeli government for further information on its personnel decisions.”

Netanyahu has long had a tense relationship with Gallant, firing his defense minister in March 2023 after Gallant made public statements against the government’s planned judicial reform. Netanyahu later supported the move following mass protests that broke out hours after Gallant’s dismissal was first reported.

Netanyahu came close fire Gallant in September, but refrained after a coordinated attack allegedly carried out by Israel in which thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members exploded, incapacitating large swaths of the Iran-backed terror group’s members.

Galant has criticized Netanyahu for not having a clear “next day” plan for Gaza and for not pursuing a hostage deal more aggressively.

Moshe Emilio Lavi, the son-in-law of Omri Miran, who has been held hostage in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, said that “the families of the hostages have found an ally in Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who has warned that the government is jeopardizing Israel’s security.” until October 7″ – a reference to Gallant’s opposition to the government’s judicial reform.

Gallant “took a clear-eyed look at the hostage crisis but vowed to make their release a priority. Today, Prime Minister Netanyahu fired him for political reasons as the war continues. Despite its failures, Gallant’s Defense Ministry has served as a moderating force in a government filled with reckless extremist ministers, with the Prime Minister facing three charges and his associates under investigation for not always putting the nation’s interests above their own,” Lavi wrote on your Facebook page. X.

Katz, a Netanyahu supporter, is expected to cooperate with the prime minister’s war vision. As foreign minister, Katz became known for publishing AI-generated messages. images mocking anti-Israel leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While Katz has a large power base in Netanyahu’s Likud party, he has largely used it as leverage to pressure the prime minister to advance to higher ministerial positions.

Gideon Saar, who served as minister without portfolio after joining the cabinet in September to support the war effort, will replace Katz as foreign minister. As the wars in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon move into less intense phases, Sa’ar’s promotion to a senior position could allow him and his party to remain in the coalition. Ze’ev Elkin, who like Sa’ar is a former Likud minister and former Netanyahu confidant, is also expected to receive a cabinet post.

Netanyahu said the move “strengthens the stability of the coalition and the government, which is important at any time, especially in times of war.”

To survive, the coalition needs more support now because of serious internal divisions over a bill that would end the harshest punishment for young haredi men who do not join the army. Several Likud and Saarland lawmakers said they would vote against the bill.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supported the dismissal, saying Gallant was still “captive of the concept that we cannot achieve total victory.”

Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz published on X that this is “policy at the expense of national security.”

Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman published on X that it was a “banana republic” and argued that “if a defense minister can be replaced in the middle of a war, then it is also possible to replace a prime minister who has failed in his duties and neglected national security.”

Several activist groups advocating the hostage deal and calling for Netanyahu’s ouster have reached out to the Israelis protest on the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and beyond. Demonstrators blocked the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv and clashed with police.