- Protests triggered by the sacking of the Minister of Defence
- Y. Gallant's replacement has a more submissive stance and poorer relations in allied America
- Protesters took to the streets, blocked motorways and blamed the Prime Minister
Protests triggered by the sacking of the Minister of Defence
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Tuesday evening following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unexpected decision to sack Defence Minister Yoav Gallant from his post. According to the Prime Minister, the war in Gaza has simply eroded confidence in the Defence Minister[1].
"Over the last few months, trust has eroded. In view of this, today I have decided to end my term as Minister of Defence," said Mr Gallant. Netanyahu's statement.
Gallant is believed to have clashed with Netanyahu for months over his approach to negotiations on a possible hostage release agreement and the future of Gaza. Earlier this year, Israeli media quoted Mr Gallant as telling a parliamentary committee privately that the hostage release agreement was "stuck... partly because of Israel". For his part, B. Netanyahu's office has now accused Gallant of an "anti-Israel narrative".
A few months before the outbreak of the war in Gaza, B. Netanyahu had already sacked Gallant over political disagreements but reinstated him after a strong public outcry. In May this year, the now-former Israeli Defence Minister also expressed open frustration at the government's failure to resolve the post-war situation in Gaza.
It is said that Mr Gallant wanted Prime Minister B. Netanyahu to state publicly that Israel has no plans to take over civilian and military rule in Gaza. This was a rare public sign of disagreement among the Israeli military cabinet over the direction of the military campaign, especially during a tense period of war[2].
Y. Gallant's replacement has a more submissive stance and poorer relations in allied America
Mr Gallant, who has been sacked, has declared that working to ensure the security of the country will remain his "life mission". He later issued a detailed statement in which he said he had been removed from his post "because of disagreements on three issues".
He said that there should be no exemptions from military service in Israel, he also believes that there should be a national inquiry to learn from mistakes, and he stated that hostages should be brought home as soon as possible. Referring to the hostages, he said:
"I think it is possible to achieve this goal. It requires painful concessions that the State of Israel can make.
Gideon Saar, a self-proclaimed political rebel and one-time rival to the Prime Minister, has been appointed Israel's new Foreign Minister. Just five years ago he openly challenged Prime Minister Netanyahu to become leader of Israel's right-wing Likud party.
The former journalist and lawyer later left the Likud in 2020, saying it had become corrupt under Netanyahu's leadership, and founded the right-wing New Hope party. Last year, after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, Mr Saar joined the cabinet of emergency war ministers before leaving the administration. In September, he joined B. Netanyahu's government as Minister without the briefcase.
It is noted that Gallant's dismissal came on the day of the presidential elections in the US, which is Israel's main supporter in its war in Gaza. This was also noted by part of the Israeli media, which highlighted that Mr Gallant has a much better relationship with the White House than Mr Netanyahu.
However, the US was in no hurry to comment on the situation. Yesterday, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council said:
"Minister Gallant has been an important partner in all matters relating to Israel's defense. As close partners, we will continue to work with Israel's next Defence Minister."
Observers note that Gallant's removal from power also comes at a time when Netanyahu is under pressure from far-right politicians to pass a bill that would continue to allow Israeli ultra-Orthodox to be exempted from serving in the army. Gallant has been one of the main opponents of this bill.
Protesters took to the streets, blocked motorways and blamed the Prime Minister
And as soon as the news of Mr Gallant's resignation as Minister was announced, a wave of protests erupted across the country. Traffic on streets and highways in Tel Aviv and other cities was halted, protesters started burning bonfires, breaking roadblocks and fences, and police officers rushed to the scene.
Although it is unclear exactly how many people were protesting, it is estimated that the number exceeded several thousand. In Tel Aviv, Ayalon Street was covered with Israeli flags as well as pictures of hostages and yellow flags in solidarity with the hostages. A few protesters even raised Israeli and North Korean flags, apparently accusing the government of caving in to dictatorship.
The protesters referred to Prime Minister Netanyahu as a traitor, accusing him of not taking sufficient measures to bring home the hostages taken more than a year ago. Some protesters also repeated the mantra of the 2023 mass protests against the government's reform of the judiciary: "Democracy or Revolution!"
A group representing the families of those taken hostage in the 7 October attack also condemned Netanyahu's move to sack the defense minister, calling it a further effort to "destroy" the disengagement agreement.
The Forum of Hostages and Families of the Missing has called on the incoming Minister of Defence to "make a clear commitment to end the war and to reach a comprehensive agreement for the immediate return of all abductees". More than a year after the incident, some 100 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023 remain missing.
