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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, sparking nationwide protests

Israelis demonstrate after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a lack of trust.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, a dramatic and divisive move that has sent political shockwaves across Israel.
Driving the news

  • The abrupt decision comes as Israel is fighting on multiple fronts, escalating the conflict not only in the Gaza Strip but also on the northern border with Lebanon.
  • Gallant, a veteran former general, has been a central figure in Israel's response to the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza and the United States Hezbollah Threat in Lebanon.
  • His dismissal has sparked mass protests and exacerbated political unrest as Israel grapples with a perilous security situation on multiple fronts. Thousands of protesters flooded central Tel Aviv and other cities, blocking streets and setting fires in response to what many saw as a political decision that put Netanyahu's interests above national security.
  • Gallant's dismissal came after repeated arguments with Netanyahu on Israel's approach to the 13-month Gaza war and other key security issues, including exemptions for ultra-Orthodox military conscription and efforts to ensure the return of hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu cited a “crisis of trust” in Gallant as the reason for the dismissal and claimed that “complete trust is required between the prime minister and the defense minister, especially during a war.” He announced Gallant's replacement with Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a close ally with limited military experience.

Why it matters

  • The timing and political context of Gallant's dismissal have heightened concerns about Israel's stability amid an intense period of conflict. Israel is currently conducting simultaneous military operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, where ground operations have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and heavy civilian casualties. The escalation follows Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Hostilities have spread to Lebanon, where Israeli forces clash with Hezbollah, and Israeli operations have targeted Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Gallant's pragmatic approach to the Gaza conflict contrasted with Netanyahu's hardline stance, with Gallant advocating a temporary ceasefire to secure a hostage-taking deal and address Israel's urgent security needs.
  • The situation also reveals fault lines in Israeli society, particularly around the issue of military liberation. Gallant has been a vocal critic of exempting ultra-Orthodox men from conscription, which many see as an unfair privilege that threatens Israel's security in times of crisis.
  • Gallant recently issued 7,000 additional draft orders to the ultra-Orthodox community, angering the religious parties in Netanyahu's coalition and further isolating him politically. His firing has intensified long-running debates in Israel over military service, equal rights and the priorities of Netanyahu's coalition, which includes strong support from ultra-Orthodox parties.

What they say
“If it is possible to replace a defense minister in the middle of a war, then it is certainly possible to replace a prime minister who is unable to bring back the hostages,” Einav Tzangauker, whose son is among the prisoners, said in a statement interview with Channel 12.
“Firing Gallant in the middle of a war is an act of madness,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said on
Gallant, shortly after his release, underscored his commitment to Israel's security on national television and stressed the need to bring hostages home. “We must do this as soon as possible while they are still alive,” he said, emphasizing that Israel has a “moral and ethical obligation to return our sons and daughters kidnapped by Hamas.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also spoke out, calling Gallant's release “the last thing Israel needs,” while the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a grassroots group representing hostage families, called the release “a direct continuation of the 'efforts “To torpedo the terrorist militia” was the term “kidnapping deal.”
The White House refrained from directly criticizing Netanyahu's decision, but emphasized Gallant's importance to the U.S.-Israel defense relationship. A National Security Council spokesman called Gallant an “important partner” and said the U.S. would continue to work with Israel's next defense minister. Gallant's relationship with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was close and he was highly regarded in Washington as a no-nonsense leader. This change could strain U.S.-Israel defense relations, especially if Gallant's successor proves less experienced in leading military operations at such a critical time.
The big picture

  • Gallant's firing adds to ongoing instability in Israeli politics, where Netanyahu has been repeatedly criticized for his handling of the war and domestic crisis. Earlier this year, Netanyahu tried to fire Gallant over disagreements over proposed judicial reforms that critics said would undermine Israel's democracy by weakening the Supreme Court.
  • The move sparked some of Israel's largest protests in recent memory and prompted Netanyahu to backtrack. But tensions between Gallant and Netanyahu have never fully resolved, and their disputes over how to handle the war in Gaza and Lebanon have increasingly weakened Gallant's position.
  • Since the beginning of the war, many Israelis have viewed Gallant as a figure of stability. He has urged Netanyahu to seek a hostage deal with Hamas, calling it essential for both security and humanitarian reasons. The issue of hostages has become a major political flashpoint in Israel as many Israelis feel that Netanyahu's government has neglected the families of those captured in the Oct. 7 attacks.
  • Netanyahu's opponents argue that he is reluctant to make concessions in hostage negotiations because of political pressure from his right-wing coalition partners, who are demanding a complete military victory over Hamas. Hostage families and their supporters expressed outrage at Gallant's dismissal. One protester said Netanyahu was “deliberately endangering Israel’s security” to settle personal political scores.
  • Gallant's pragmatic approach also extended to his stance on ultra-Orthodox draft exemptions, which have been a point of contention for years. Israel's Supreme Court has ordered the government to let those exemptions expire, and Gallant's efforts to enforce the ruling are putting him at odds with the ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu's coalition. The exemptions, a privilege granted to ultra-Orthodox men who study religious texts instead of serving in the military, have fueled resentment among secular Israelis who see them as an unfair burden. Gallant argued that convening the ultra-Orthodox was a matter of “fairness and security” as Israel faces increasing threats from regional adversaries.

Between the lines
Gallant's firing reflects Netanyahu's longstanding habit of removing rivals from office even at politically risky moments. Israel's political landscape is highly polarized, and Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners have put considerable pressure on him to remove Gallant, whose pragmatism has often been at odds with their aggressive rhetoric.
Netanyahu has relied on these ultra-Orthodox and pro-settler parties to maintain his coalition, and Gallant's recent actions—particularly his criticism of Netanyahu's handling of the war and the drafting of ultra-Orthodox men—made his position increasingly untenable.
Observers say Gallant's dismissal could further destabilize Israel at a time when the country faces increasing threats from its opponents. Gayil Talshir, a political analyst at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said Gallant's firing was “just a matter of timing” and that Netanyahu had chosen a moment when the world's attention was focused on the U.S. election to avoid intense international scrutiny to avoid examination. Talshir warned that the timing “on the eve of another possible attack by Iran is the worst that could have been expected.”
What's next?

  • Without Gallant, Netanyahu's new defense minister, Israel Katz, will face intense pressure to unify Israel's approach to the Gaza war and hostage crisis. Katz's lack of extensive military experience could be a disadvantage in coordinating Israeli strategy across multiple fronts, and he could have difficulty keeping up with Gallant's popularity and influence. Katz has pledged to prioritize the return of hostages and support Israel's ongoing operations in Gaza. However, he is considered a Netanyahu loyalist, raising doubts about his willingness to deviate from the prime minister's hardline approach.
  • Meanwhile, Netanyahu's decision could backfire politically as protests continue to grow and his support declines. The political fallout could increase calls for early elections, especially if Netanyahu's coalition collapses under the strain of war and deepening national divides. Critics argue that Netanyahu's handling of the war and his government's internal disputes is undermining Israel's unity at a time when it is needed most, and that his focus on political survival threatens Israel's security and international standing.
  • As Israel grapples with unprecedented internal divisions and conflict on multiple fronts, Gallant's dismissal has underscored the extent to which Netanyahu's government is willing to prioritize political loyalty over national stability.

(With contributions from agencies)

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