Netanyahu sacks defence minister Gallant over 'crisis of trust'

2 weeks ago 5

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired his defence minister Yoav Gallant.

The move comes 14 months into the Middle East war sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Mr Netanyahu said a "crisis of trust" had developed between him and Mr Gallant.

He said there had been too many "significant gaps" between them over the management of Israel's wars.

"In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister," Mr Netanyahu said.

"Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister."

The two have regularly been at odds over the handling of the Gaza war.

A previous attempt to fire Mr Gallant in March last year led to widespread street protests against Mr Netanyahu and opposition groups have called for mass protests in response to the sacking.

It comes amid a backdrop of arguments around the drafting of ultra-Orthodox students into the IDF, with Mr Gallant deciding this week to send out thousands of draft notices.

Leaders of ultra-Orthodox Haredi parties in Mr Netanyahu's coalition have called for a law exempting full-time religious seminary students from service.

Religious young men are exempt from military service, which is compulsory for most Jews in the country.

Netanyahu will probably get away with 'act of madness'

Trust between Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant broke down a long time ago, but Mr Netanyahu still regarded the defence minister as a sound military strategist, so firing him while Israel's multi-front wars continue and with renewed threats of another Iranian attack is strange timing.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid described it as "an act of madness".

This move has its roots in domestic politics. There are divisions in Israel over an attempt to draft ultra-religious Haredi students into the IDF at a time when the military is stretched.

Many Israelis are annoyed the ultra-Orthodox remain exempt from national service when so many of the country's young men and women are fighting.

Mr Gallant was on the side of drafting Haredi men, but the ultra-Orthodox element of Mr Netanyahu's government threatened to collapse the coalition if that was enforced.

It's for that reason this will be viewed purely as a move of personal political survival by Mr Netanyahu.

Israel Katz, Mr Gallant's replacement, was previously foreign minister, although in name only. In reality, Mr Netanyahu's close ally Ron Dermer played that role.

Mr Katz has nowhere near the military command experience of Mr Gallant and is not highly thought of by the White House, unlike his predecessor.

Mr Gallant was also well regarded within Israel, and so when he spoke on the direction of the war, often in opposition to Mr Netanyahu, people listened.

He recently published a letter saying the war had lost direction – his poll ratings rose above Mr Netanyahu's, and that angered the prime minister.

In effect, this is the second time Mr Gallant has been sacked, the first time was last March when he spoke out against controversial judicial reforms. On that occasion, mass protests erupted, and he was quietly reinstated.

This time, there will be no comeback for him and Israel again faces demonstrations, but after 13 months of war there is little energy or strength to protest in the same way, and unlike last March, Mr Netanyahu will probably get away with it.

Key differences between Netanyahu and Gallant

While Israel's leadership initially presented a unified response to the Hamas attack in October last year, as the conflict dragged on and expanded to Lebanon, key differences have emerged between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant.

Mr Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas in Gaza, while Mr Gallant has argued military force has created the necessary conditions for a deal that could bring home more hostages held by the militant group.

In a statement, Mr Gallant, a former general, said: "The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."

Replacements announced

Mr Netanyahu appointed the foreign minister, Israel Katz, to succeed Mr Gallant as defence minister. Mr Katz is a veteran minister of Mr Netanyau's cabinet and has been a longtime ally of the prime minister.

Gideon Saar will become the new foreign minister, the prime minister's office said in a statement. Mr Saar, formerly a rival of Mr Netanyahu, rejoined the government in September.

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