Tuesday 8 April 2025
Israeli PM Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Protests Erupt
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Amid the ongoing tensions escalated with Gaza and Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, November 6, 2024, citing a crisis of trust between them. His termination came out after the first failed attempt of Prime Minister Netanyahu last year in the country. The attempt to sack was failed as it led to the expansion of the biggest protests observed in Israel.
However, relations between the two never recovered, and now Netanyahu has appointed Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, as the new Defense Minister.
Katz served as Israel’s foreign minister from 2019 to 2020 and will be reappointed in 2024. He is a senior member of Netanyahus Likud party.
He is also a former member of the Israeli Parliament and has worked in other positions in the government, including the Minister of Finance, Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture.
His tenure as the foreign minister is defined by the regional conflict. He sought to defend Israel against the global, with Hamas in Gaza and then Hezbollah in Lebanon. Notably, both the military groups Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran.
On the military front, Katz has never held any top position in the military, unlike Gallant, who was an experienced former general.
Gideon Saar, the leader of the National Right Party, has been appointed as the successor to take over the position of Foreign Minister.
In a shocking announcement, the Israeli Prime Minister said that he has no longer trust in Gallants handling of Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
The relationship worsened gradually over time, especially during the early months of the conflict with Hamas. The conflict began to surface over Netanyahu and Gallants disagreements regarding security issues. The former Defense Minister took actions contradictory to the governments decision. He was actively pushing for a deal to secure hostages held by Hamas. While Prime Minister Netanyahu was focusing on carrying out the military operations against it and conducting the war. These actions contributed to a Crise of trust between the two.
Meanwhile, the elimination of Yoav Gallant has now sparked outrage and protests across the country. Thousands of people marched in Tel Aviv, protesting the dismissal of defense minister Yoav Gallant.
Many people believed that his elimination was politically directed. Critics argued that this move is influenced by the opposition’s certain policies, including handling the conflict with Hamas and proposing judicial reforms.
His terminations also raised questions on the governments ability to manage the security of the country effectively.
Slogans against the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were raised by people on Tuesday, stating, We deserve better leaders and Leaving no one behind.” Some chanted, Bibi Traitor! Youre guilty, referring to the Prime Minister, holding him responsible for the October 7 Hamas attack that took place last year.
The protestors also blocked the traffic and lit fire on the highway at Tel Aviv, attired in t-shirts stating, Bring them home now! (Them referring to hostages). They also called on Gallants successor Katz to prioritize the hostage deal to return the captives still held in Gaza.
In March 2023, Prime Minister Netanyahu first attempted to fire the former Defense Minister of Israel named Yoav Gallant due to his opposition to Netanyahus proposed judicial reforms.
Gallant warned the government that these reforms would affect Israel adversely and jeopardize the nations security. His stance was observed as a direct challenge to Netanyahus authority and policies. This move provoked Netanyahu to announce Gallants termination. But his dismissal led to widespread protests across Israel, which eventually made Netanyahu reverse his decision to fire Gallant at that time.
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