Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu fires Defense Minister

According to CNN, in a statement on the evening of November 5, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the trust between him and the Defense Minister had broken down, and decided to fire Minister Gallant after months of disagreement.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Foreign Minister Katz will become the new defense minister. Meanwhile, Minister without portfolio Gideon Saar will replace Mr. Katz as foreign minister.

The change comes at a crucial time for Israel, which is waging wars in Gaza and Lebanon while facing a potential retaliatory strike from Iran.

Mr. Gallant reacted to the decision shortly after it was announced. Sharing on social network X, Mr. Gallant said, “Israel’s security has been and will always be my lifelong mission.” In a televised statement, Mr. Gallant said his dismissal was the result of a dispute over three things: the issue of official military services, the abandonment of hostages in Gaza, and the need for an official investigation into the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said on November 5 that he had “made numerous attempts” to narrow the differences with Gallant, but that they “continued to widen” and “became public knowledge in an unacceptable way.” “Worse still, our enemies knew about them and profited,” the Israeli leader said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant have often disagreed on the war in Gaza. According to Israeli media, in August, Mr. Gallant told a Knesset committee that Mr. Netanyahu’s goal of “absolute victory” in Gaza was “nonsense.” Prime Minister Netanyahu then took the unexpected step of issuing a press statement accusing Gallant of adopting an “anti-Israel narrative.”

Gallant also sharply criticized Netanyahu's emphasis on controlling the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphia Corridor. He said prioritizing control of that border over a ceasefire and a hostage deal was a "moral disgrace." In his cabinet, he voted against continuing the occupation there. "If we want the hostages alive, we don't have time," Gallant said.

Domestic politics, however, may be the underlying cause of the rift. Israeli politicians have long speculated that Prime Minister Netanyahu would fire Gallant and replace him with a political ally to consolidate power at home. Netanyahu has had to maintain control of his right-wing ruling coalition and the chaos of competing interests, whose collapse could spell the end of his rule.