Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a lack of mutual trust.

Reuters

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

International

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

Nov 05, 2024

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he is firing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a lack of mutual trust. The decision comes amid Israel’s ongoing battles on multiple fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

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Netanyahu and Gallant had presented a unified front during the early days of the Israel-Hamas war. However, as the fighting shifted to Lebanon, Gallant expressed that his priorities were focused on bringing home hostages. Netanyahu has repeatedly stated his goal in the war is to “wipe out Hamas.”

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In a statement, Netanyahu said he tried to bridge the gaps between them but that they “kept getting wider,” and eventually became public. He added, “Worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy and our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.”

According to The Times of Israel, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned Gallant’s dismissal, calling it a “direct continuation of the ‘efforts’ to torpedo the hostage deal.”

Gallant responded on X, saying, “The security of the State of Israel always was and will always remain my life’s mission.”

The minister is being replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who is known for supporting Netanyahu’s military decisions.

In September, Katz rejected a cease-fire proposal in Lebanon, saying on X, “There will be no ceasefire in the North. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the North to their homes.”

Gallant’s firing has sparked protests in the streets of Tel Aviv, with demonstrators blocking traffic and setting fires.

Political opposition leaders, critical of Netanyahu, accuse him of jeopardizing Israel’s security and the safety of IDF fighters for his own political survival.

Meanwhile, Israel’s national security minister praised Netanyahu’s decision to fire Gallant, stating on X that he “congratulates the prime minister on the decision to fire Gallant – and the prime minister did well to remove him from his position.”

The Times of Israel reports that Gallant’s dismissal on the day of the U.S. election caught the Biden administration off guard.

Gallant and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had frequent contact, holding nearly 100 phone calls since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Lebanon, Syria

[Lauren Taylor]

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ANNOUNCED HE’S FIRING DEFENSE MINISTER, YOAV GALLANT, CITING A LACK OF MUTUAL TRUST.

THIS DECISION COMES IN THE MIDDLE OF ISRAEL FIGHTING WARS ON MULTIPLE FRONTS INCLUDING GAZA, LEBANON, AND SYRIA.

NETANYAHU AND GALLANT SHOWED A UNIFIED FRONT IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR, HOWEVER, AS THE FIGHTING SHIFTED TO LEBANON, GALLANT EXPRESSED HIS PRIORITIES WERE IN BRINGING HOME HOSTAGES.

NETANYAHU HAS REPEATEDLY SAID HIS GOAL IN THE WAR IS TO WIPE OUT HAMAS.

IN A STATEMENT, NETANYAHU SAID HE TRIED TO BRIDGE THE GAPS BUT THEY “KEPT GETTING WIDER” AND BECAME PUBLIC. HE SAID, “WORSE THAN THAT, THEY CAME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENEMY AND OUR ENEMIES ENJOYED IT AND DERIVED A LOT OF BENEFIT FROM IT.”

ACCORDING TO THE TIMES OF ISRAEL, THE HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM HAS CONDEMNED GALLANT’S DISMISSAL “CALLING IT A ‘DIRECT CONTINUATION OF THE ‘EFFORTS’ TO TORPEDO THE HOSTAGE DEAL.’”

GALLANT RESPONDED ON X, SAYING “THE SECURITY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL ALWAYS WAS AND WILL ALWAYS REMAIN MY LIFE’S MISSION.”

GALLANT IS BEING REPLACED BY FOREIGN MINISTER ISRAEL KATZ, WHO IS KNOWN FOR BACKING NETANYAHU’S MILITARY DECISIONS.

IN SEPTEMBER, KATZ REJECTED A CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL IN LEBANON SAYING ON X: “THERE WILL BE NO CEASEFIRE IN THE NORTH. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST ORGANIZATION WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH UNTIL VICTORY AND THE SAFE RETURN OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE NORTH TO THEIR HOMES.”

GALLANT’S FIRING HAS SPARKED PROTESTS IN THE STREETS OF TEL AVIV WITH DEMONSTRATORS BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND SETTING FIRES.

POLITICAL OPPOSITION LEADERS, CRITICAL OF NETANYAHU, ACCUSE HIM OF SELLING OUT ISRAEL’S SECURITY AND IDF FIGHTERS FOR HIS OWN POLITICAL SURVIVAL.

MEANWHILE, , ISRAEL’S NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER PRAISED NETANYAHU’S DECISION TO FIRE GALLANT STATING ON X HE CONGRATULATES “THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE DECISION TO FIRE GALLANT – AND THE PRIME MINISTER DID WELL TO REMOVE HIM FROM HIS POSITION.”

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL REPORTS GALLANT’S DISMISSAL ON THE DAY OF THE U-S ELECTION CAUGHT THE BIDEN-ADMINISTRATION OFF GUARD.

GALLANT AND US DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN HAD FREQUENT CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, HOLDING NEARLY 100 PHONE CALLS SINCE THE START OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR.