Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Galant on the 5th (local time) amid clashes over the Gaza Strip war policy and judicial reform.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Defense Minister Yoav Galant [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]
In an evening statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the dismissal of Minister Galant and named Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Katz as his successor. He explained, "During wartime, complete trust between the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister is more necessary than ever," adding, "Unfortunately, such trust existed and was very beneficial during the first few months, but in recent months, the trust between me and the Defense Minister has broken down."
Minister Galant, affiliated with the ruling Likud party alongside Netanyahu, has been leading the Gaza Strip war for 13 months since the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel in October last year. However, he had publicly opposed Netanyahu's judicial reform (legislation to weaken the judiciary) and had ongoing disagreements over war strategy and recent legislation regarding military exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community known as 'Haredi.' Due to these persistent conflicts, his dismissal was reportedly an expected development, according to The Guardian.
Netanyahu stated, "I tried several times to bridge the gap, but it only widened," and added, "This was revealed to the public in an unacceptable manner, and the enemies enjoyed and benefited greatly from this situation." This was a criticism of Galant openly defying him.
Regarding his successor, Minister Katz, Netanyahu introduced him as someone who "has served as Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, and Intelligence Minister over five years and has demonstrated capability and dedication to national security as a long-standing member of the security cabinet." Also a member of the Likud party, Katz has taken a hardline stance, including designating UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres as 'persona non grata' after Guterres did not condemn Iran's airstrikes on Israel. Gideon Sa'ar, leader of the right-wing party 'New Hope,' which joined the coalition government last September, was named as Katz's successor as Foreign Minister.
The news of Galant's dismissal drew attention as it was announced on the day of the U.S. presidential election. Throughout the war phase, the Biden administration was reportedly more inclined to engage with the relatively moderate Galant rather than Prime Minister Netanyahu.
After his dismissal, Galant posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, "Israel's security has always been my life's mission and will continue to be so." According to Times of Israel and others, Netanyahu met Galant directly around 8 p.m., about 10 minutes before the announcement, had a brief conversation, and handed him the dismissal notice. Galant's term as Defense Minister will officially end 48 hours later.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir welcomed the dismissal, saying, "Galant, stuck in old thinking, cannot achieve victory," and called the dismissal the right decision. However, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid criticized it as "madness to dismiss Galant during wartime."
That same evening, hundreds of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv against Galant's dismissal. Families and friends of Hamas hostages also blocked the southern Ayalon Highway, protesting, "A government waging psychological warfare against its own citizens abandons its people and has no right to continue the war." Earlier, in March last year, when Netanyahu attempted to dismiss Galant for opposing the judiciary-weakening legislation, street protests had also erupted.
Meanwhile, at least 35 people were confirmed dead due to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that day. Tents housing children and civilians were also attacked and damaged. Additionally, the Israeli military announced that on the same day, it expanded operations into the Al-Qusayr area in Syria and bombed Hezbollah military bases stationed in the Syrian border city of Qusayr near Lebanon.
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