Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on Tuesday after disagreements between the two men over the prosecution of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Netanyahu’s decision to sideline Mr. Gallant, a powerful figure within his own party, Likud, is a dramatic step for the prime minister.
But Mr. Gallant had increasingly been viewed as an internal opponent, and he has been a more moderate voice within the government on security issues.
Mr. Netanyahu, who announced the decision in a video statement issued by his office, said, “significant gaps on handling the battle” emerged between him and Mr. Gallant.
He named Israel Katz, the foreign minister, as the new defense minister, and said Gideon Sa’ar would replace Mr. Katz as foreign minister.
“At the height of a war, complete trust is needed between the prime minister and the defense minister,” Mr. Netanyahu said in the video statement.
“In recent months, that trust between me and the defense minister was damaged.”
Minutes after Mr. Netanyahu released his statement, Mr. Gallant, 65, posted on social media that Israel’s security “was and will always remain my life’s mission.”
He did not directly address his dismissal.
In a letter dated Nov. 5, Mr. Netanyahu informed Mr. Gallant that he would end his term as defense minister within 48 hours of receiving the notice.
Mr. Gallant, a member of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party and the defense minister since 2022, has frequently been at odds with the prime minister, clashing with him over legislation seeking the overhaul of the Israeli judiciary, proposals for the future administration of Gaza and the cease-fire talks.
In August, Mr. Gallant had disparaged the Israeli leader’s goal of “total victory” over Hamas in Gaza as “nonsense.”
After more centrist politicians left Mr. Netanyahu’s government in June, many political analysts said Mr. Gallant, who was a senior general in the military, became the main voice of moderation within the government’s decision-making circles.(New York Times / vitalnewsngr.com)
