Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, citing a breakdown in trust. He is said to be preparing to fire the heads of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA).
According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu fired Gallant in person, handing him a letter of termination in the prime minister’s office.
Netanyahu then published a video explaining his decision, citing a loss of trust over time, and actions by Gallant contrary to the government’s policies, which he said made it impossible for him to continue in his position.
The firing was not unexpected: Netanyahu dismissed Gallant for insubordination in 2023, after the latter took advantage of Netanyahu’s brief absence from the country to come out against his proposed judicial reforms.
Netanyahu later rescinded his decision, and Gallant had been one of the more widely respected members of his government as he steered Israel’s war effort. However, Gallant remained a political rival, often speaking out in favor of a hostage deal with Hamas, even when there was none to be had — a signal of support to the Israeli opposition.
The news came as Netanyahu pushed back against claims that his office had leaked classified information to the media. The investigation is being controlled by the IDF and the ISA, which have kept details of the investigation secret. Columnist Caroilne Glick likened the security services’ behavior to an attempted “military coup” in Israel.
According to Glick, Israel’s defense establishment and legal fraternity — which have never liked Netanyahu — wanted to use the temporary distraction of U.S. elections to push Netanyahu out, before a potential win by Donald Trump.
The machinations all took place against the backdrop of a possible missile attack by Iran, which has spoken about continuing its assault on Israel despite the successful Israeli retaliation against previous Iranian attacks last month.
Netanyahu replaced Gallant with foreign minister Israel Katz, who be replaced by Gideon Sa’ar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sa’ar is a former critic of Netanyahu who made amends and recently joined his government.
The Israeli opposition blasted the firings, and protesters came out into the streets on Tuesday night. Netanyahu’s coalition supported the moves. It is unclear what the political fallout will be, or the broader security implications.
Update: Netanyahu’s office released a translation of his remarks explaining his decision to fire Gallant:
As the Prime Minister of Israel, my chief obligation is to preserve the security of Israel and to achieve our total victory.
In the midst of war, more than ever, complete trust is required between the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister.
Unfortunately, even though such trust was present during the first months of the military campaign, and we had a very productive cooperation, during the past several months this trust between myself and the Defense Minister has begun to crack.
Defense Minister Gallant and I had substantial disagreements on the management of the military campaign, disagreements which were accompanied by public statements and actions that contravened the decisions of the Government and the Security Cabinet.
I have made multiple attempts to resolve these disagreements, but they became increasingly wider. They were also brought to the knowledge of the public in an inappropriate manner, and what is even worse, they have reached the knowledge of the enemy; our enemies have taken great delight in these disagreements and have derived much benefit from them.
Different opinions in open debates, as anyone who knows me can attest to, are my way of holding discussions and consultations, and making decisions. Everyone knows that. However, the increasingly wide crisis of confidence between myself and the Defense Minister had become public knowledge, and that crisis is hindering the continued proper administration of the military campaign.
I am not the only one with this opinion; in both the Government and the Security Cabinet, the majority of the members of which, virtually all members, share the feeling that this state of affairs cannot continue.
In view of the above, I have decided today to remove the Defense Minister from his post. In his stead, I have decided to appoint Minister Israel Katz to this position. Israel Katz has proven his abilities and has made a contribution to national security as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Intelligence for five years, and equally important, as a long-standing member of the State Security Cabinet.
Israel Katz brings to the table an impressive combination of rich experience and executive capabilities. He is known as a man of action who combines responsibility with reserved decisiveness, all important qualities for driving a military campaign.
Also, I have spoken today with Minister Gideon Saar and proposed that he join the coalition along with his faction and serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a member of the Government and Security Cabinet for many years, Gideon Sa’ar will bring to the table much experience and consideration in the areas of policy and security, and will be a significant addition to our leadership team.
Gideon Saar’s addition and the addition of his faction will increase the stability of the coalition and the government, important factors at any time, and especially important in time of war. I am convinced that these steps will reinforce the Government and the Security Cabinet, transforming them into bodies that work cooperatively and harmoniously for the security of the State of Israel, for the citizens of Israel, and for our victory.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.