Bethan McKernan
The Guardian / November 6, 2024
Critics dismayed at timing of dismissal amid war and on day of US election – and warn more may come for PM’s political gain
Many Israelis have been left reeling by Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss his popular defence minister in the midst of a multifront war, accusing him of carrying out the move for his own political gain.
In a surprise announcement late on Tuesday, the prime minister said that he had fired Yoav Gallant over what he described a “crisis of trust” in the past few months. Gallant, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party and a senior general, has been replaced by the foreign minister, Likud lawmaker and loyalist Israel Katz, who has little military background.
Gallant’s dismissal sparked protests across the country on Tuesday evening, including outside Netanyahu’s house in Jerusalem. Thousands of people carrying Israeli flags and banging drums blocked roads in central Tel Aviv, calling for the prime minister’s removal and a deal to return the 101 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Scuffles with police broke out several times, and officers used “skunk” water to disperse demonstrators in Tel Aviv.
While it has been rumoured for months that Netanyahu was looking for an opportunity to fire Gallant, his harshest critic inside the government, the timing of the announcement still came as a shock to many.
The prime minister appears to have finally made his move after Gallant renewed efforts this week to draft members of the ultra-Orthodox community into the army, angering Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox coalition allies. Gallant, whom Washington saw as a moderating influence on Netanyahu and an important conduit thanks to good relationships with his counterpart, Lloyd Austin, and the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, was also fired the same day as the US election.
The decision has sparked fears that more dismissals may be forthcoming. Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the army chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, who has sparred with Netanyahu over strategy in the war in Gaza, is next.
The jobs of Shin Bet director, Ronen Bar, and the attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara – at odds with the prime minister over a hostage deal and his government’s judicial overhaul, respectively – are also reported to be at risk.
Netanyahu may be feeling bolder about ousting critics. His once-fragile coalition majority has been shored up by the addition of the centre-right New Hope party led by Gideon Saar, who replaces Katz as foreign minister, and Likud’s polls have improved. Pressure from Israel’s most important ally, the US, may also abate with the re-election of Donald Trump.
No Israeli defence minister has ever been fired during wartime before, and the country is facing unprecedented challenges: wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and threats from Iran and its allies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Gallant’s removal was widely criticised by Netanyahu’s opposition as “politics at the expense of national security”.
The chair of the conservative Yisrael Beitenu party, Avigdor Lieberman, described the decision as that of a “banana republic”.
“Instead of putting the welfare of citizens and soldiers first, the prime minister decided to fire the minister of defence and start a new round of appointments during the fighting, all in order to meet shameful political needs,” he said in a statement.
“If a defence minister can be replaced in the middle of a war, it is also possible to replace a prime minister who has failed in his duties.”
Protesters in Israel take to streets for second night after defence minister’s sacking – video
Former army chief of staff and centrist politician Gadi Eisenkot, whose son was killed in action in Gaza, called the move “unprecedentedly irresponsible”, and said it “weakens the public’s trust in state institutions and harms the ability to win the war and achieve its goals”.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, whose ceremonial office is meant to be politically neutral, said the dismissal was “the last thing Israel needs”.
Netanyahu had been at odds with Gallant since his latest coalition entered office at the end of 2022, when the defence minister was the only senior government figure opposed to planned judicial reforms that critics said amounted to democratic backsliding.
The pair put on a united front in the aftermath of Hamas’s 7 October attack last year, but as the war in Gaza has dragged on, sticking points have emerged. Netanyahu has insisted on continued military pressure on Hamas, while Gallant has pushed for a ceasefire and hostage release deal and is opposed to a permanent military reoccupation of the Palestinian territory.
Ultra-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has been clear about his movement’s desire to resettle the Gaza Strip, was one of the first to congratulate Netanyahu for the sacking.
In a statement late on Tuesday, Gallant said his dismissal was triggered by disputes over ultra-Orthodox conscription, Israel’s “moral obligation to return the hostages” and the need for a full inquiry into 7 October.
Netanyahu has been accused of stalling on a ceasefire and hostage deal to appease his far-right coalition partners, who have threatened to collapse his government. Staying in office is the best way for him to avoid prosecution for longstanding corruption charges, which he denies. A state inquiry into intelligence and security failures on 7 October is unlikely while Israel is still at war.
After his appointment, Katz, the new defence minister, vowed “victory over our enemies”, including “the destruction of Hamas, the defeat of Hezbollah” and the return of hostages.
In Washington, a spokesperson for the White House’s national security council said Gallant had been an important partner and that it would continue working collaboratively with his replacement.
Bethan McKernan is Jerusalem correspondent for The Guardian
