Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has abruptly dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. According to the Times of Israel (TOI) on the 5th (local time), Prime Minister Netanyahu announced in a video statement that evening that trust in Defense Minister Gallant had been broken and that Foreign Minister Israel Katz would replace him.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, “During times of war, complete trust between the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister is more necessary than ever. There was trust in the first few months with successful outcomes, but in the last few months, the trust between myself and the Defense Minister has cracked.”
TOI reported that “Gideon Sa’ar, Netanyahu’s political rival who joined the coalition government last September, is expected to take the position of the Foreign Minister.”
The TOI also stated, “Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Gallant have continued to have discord during the second-year ongoing Gaza war and the intensifying conflicts with Hezbollah and the Iranian regime.” Netanyahu has demanded ongoing military pressure on Hamas, whereas Gallant has taken a more pragmatic approach.
Former Minister Gallant stated on his social media, “The security of the Israeli state has always been my life’s mission and will continue to be so.”
A former Navy commando and military officer, Gallant has been a strong critic of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reform and had also clashed with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over this issue.
Before the outbreak of the Gaza war last March, Prime Minister Netanyahu had attempted to dismiss Minister Gallant for opposing the judicial overhaul, but widespread street protests at the time led him to withdraw the dismissal plan.