Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, citing statements that “contradict the decisions of the government and the decisions of the cabinet.” Gallant’s firing comes after months of deteriorating relations between him and Netanyahu, including Gallant criticizing Netanyahu’s management of the Israel-Hamas (and now Hamas and Iran) War in media interviews and in the Knesset.
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“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense,” Netanyahu stated, as he laid out his rationale for Gantz’s removal while the country was over a year into a war with Iran and its proxies; chiefly Hamas and Hezbollah.
“Unfortunately, although in the first few months of the campaign, there was such trust and very fruitful work, over the last few months, this trust has cracked between myself and the Defense Minister,” Netanyahu said.
As with anything else, when the prime minister sacks the defense minister in the middle of a shooting war, there are lots of moving parts.
This is not Gallant’s first rodeo when it comes to being fired. In March 2023, Netanyahu fired Gallant for opposing one of Netanyahu’s highest priorities, judicial reform. A combination of pressure from the Biden-Harris administration and street protests in Israel forced Netanyahu to back down.
Gallant’s dismissal comes in the context of an intelligence leak from inside Netanyahu’s office that has resulted in the arrest of five staffers, including Netanyahu’s spokesman. Gallant blamed Netanyahu for the leaks, which he blamed for scuttling an alleged agreement by Hamas for a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza.
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On the other hand, Gallant’s cozy relationship with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin may explain why Israel has refused to share military plans with the Pentagon.
Gallant was the cabinet member who maintained the most frequent contact with a senior Biden administration official, holding nearly 100 calls with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin since the beginning of the war.
While there were periodic disagreements, Biden officials saw Gallant as a voice of reason within the Israeli government who understood that Israel’s continued prosecution of its war against Hamas was dependent on it being able to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.
Given Biden’s history of interfering in Netanyahu’s personnel decisions when it comes to Gallant, It is probably no coincidence that our Election Day was chosen as the day for him to tell Gallant to begone.