Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his popular defense minister on Tuesday, Yoav Galantin a surprise announcement that came as the country was embroiled in wars on multiple fronts in the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have clashed repeatedly over the war Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the middle of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and the defense minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although there was so much trust in the first months of the campaign and very fruitful work was done, in recent months this trust has broken between me and the Minister of Defense.”
In the early days of the war, Israel’s leadership presented a united front to which it responded Hamas’ attack of October 7, 2023. But as the war has dragged on and spread into Lebanon, important policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring hostages from the militant group home.
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Gallant, a former general who gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the State of Israel has been and always will be my life’s mission.”
Gallant has worn a simple black button shirt during the war as a sign of grief over the Oct. 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his American counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
An earlier attempt by Netanyahu will fire Gallant in March 2023 led to widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of firing Gallant this summer, but waited until Tuesday’s announcement.
Gallant is replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katza Netanyahu loyalist and veteran cabinet minister who was a commissioned officer in the army. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take up the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralizing his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the rift with Gallant.
“But they became more and more widespread. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse, they came to the knowledge of the enemy – our enemies enjoyed them and derived great benefit from them,” he said. said
