Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant because he said there was a “crisis of trust” between them.
Netanyahu said in a statement that his trust in Gallant had “eroded” in recent months and that Foreign Minister Israel Katz would replace Gallant.
Gallant posted on social media that “the security of the state of Israel has been and will always be my life’s mission.”
The firing sparked protests on the streets of Tel Aviv, and political opposition leaders called for wider protests.
Netanyahu and Gallant have long had a divisive working relationship, and over the past year there have been reports of spats between the two over Israel’s war strategy.
Gallant said the hostage release agreement with Hamas should take priority before continuing the war in Gaza, a view rejected by the Prime Minister.
The former defense minister is also unhappy with Israel’s plan to continue allowing Ultra Othrodox citizens to be exempt from military service.
Months before the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, Netanyahu fired Gallant over political differences, before reinstating him after a public outcry.
But on Tuesday, Netanyahu said: “In the midst of a war, more than ever, there needs to be complete trust between the prime minister and the defense minister.
He said although there was trust and “fruitful work” in the first months of the war, “in the final months this trust broke down”.
Netanyahu added that “significant gaps were discovered between me and Gallant in the management of the campaign”.
“These are accompanied by statements and actions that contradict government decisions,” he added.
After being fired, Gallant posted only a short message on X, saying that Israel’s security “has been and always will be my life’s mission.”
His replacement, Katz, was considered even more hawkish in terms of military strategy.
Another Netanyahu ally, Gideon Sa’ar – who previously did not hold a cabinet post – will become the new foreign minister.
Gallant removal will take effect after 48 hours. The appointment of new ministers requires approval from the government and then the Knesset.
Netanyahu first fired Gallant in March 2023 following their disagreement over controversial plans to reform the justice system.
But he was forced to reverse his dismissal after mass public protests in several cities in Israel – an event known as “Night of Courage”.
In May this year, Gallant publicly expressed frustration at the government’s failure to resolve the question of post-war plans for Gaza. Gallant wants Netanyahu to publicly declare that Israel has no plans to take over civilian and military rule in Gaza.
It was a rare public sign of division within Israel’s war cabinet over the direction of the military campaign.
“Since October, I have repeatedly raised this issue in cabinet and received no response,” Gallant said.
Netanyahu responded by saying he was “not ready to exchange Hamastan for Fatahstan,” referring to rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah.
Reacting to Gallant’s removal on Tuesday night, members of Israel’s political opposition parties called on the public to protest.
A group representing the families of those taken hostage by Hamas in the October 7 attack also condemned Netanyhu’s firing of Gallant, calling it a continued attempt to “torpedo” a deal drop.
More than 100 hostages out of 251 people captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023 remain missing after more than a year of fighting.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum calls on incoming Secretary Katz to “express a clear commitment to ending the war and implementing a comprehensive agreement for the immediate return of all abductees ”.
Gallant’s firing also took place on the day of the presidential election in the United States – Israel’s main supporter in the war in Gaza – a time that received attention from some Israeli media outlets.
Gallant is considered to have a much better relationship with the White House than Netanyahu.
A representative of the White House National Security Council said Tuesday: “Secretary Gallant is an important partner in all matters related to Israel’s defense. As close partners, we I will continue to work cooperatively with Israel’s next Defense Minister.”
Observers note that Gallant’s removal also comes at a time when Netanyahu is under pressure from far-right politicians to pass a bill that would have continued to allow Ultra Othrodox citizens of Israel are exempt from military service. Gallant had been a strong opponent of the bill.
