Israel: PM Netanyahu dismisses Defense Minister Gallant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, following months of tension over the war in Gaza.

"Over the past few months that trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defense minister," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.

Gallant has been replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who soon after pledged to work towards "victory against our enemies" and to achieve the "goals of the war," such as "the destruction of Hamas in Gaza" and "the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon." 

Meanwhile, Gideon Saar will take up Katz's position as foreign minister. 

"The security of the State of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life," Gallant, who served for more than 30 years in Israel's navy, said online soon after the announcement.

What did Netanyahu say about Gallant's dismissal?

Netanyahu cited "significant gaps" and a "crisis of trust" between him and his fellow Likud party member Gallant.

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

The gap between the two men has widened as the war in Gaza, ongoing since the Hamas terror attack of October 7, 2023, drags on. Both men had tactical differences, with Gallant openly criticizing Netanyahu's insistence on continuing military pressure on Hamas. Instead, he favored a diplomatic deal that he said could bring home the hostages still held in Gaza.

Netanyahu claimed he had attempted to bridge the gaps with Gallant several times.

"But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy — our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it," he said.

Netanyahu had attempted to sack Gallant before in March 2023, but the move sparked widespread street protests against the prime minister. 

Reactions in Israel to the sacking of the defense minister

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir congratulated Netanyahu on the decision to fire Gallant, saying on X that the prime minister "did well."

Meanwhile, former defense minister and Netanyahu critic Benny Gantz also posted on social media following Gallant's dismissal, saying in Hebrew: "Politics at the expense of national security."

Thousands of Israelise rallied in Tel Aviv to protest the dismissal.

The crowd called on Gallant's successor Katz to prioritize a hostage deal that would return the captives still held in Gaza. 

The protesters chanted slogans against the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Demonstrators carrying Israeli flags gathered in the commercial center shortly after Gallant's dismissal was made public.

The grassroots forum representing hostage families described Gallant's dismissal as a "direct continuation of the 'efforts' to torpedo the abductee deal."

rmt/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)