Critics dismayed at timing of dismissal amid war and on day of US election – and warn more may come for PM’s political gain
Many Israelis have been left reeling by Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss his popular defence minister in the midst of a multifront war, accusing him of carrying out the move for his own political gain.over what he described a “crisis of trust” in the past few months. Gallant, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party and a senior general, has been replaced by the foreign minister, Likud lawmaker and loyalist Israel Katz, who has little military background.
The decision has sparked fears that more dismissals may be forthcoming. Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the army chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, who has sparred with Netanyahu over strategy in the war in Gaza, is next.The jobs of Shin Bet director, Ronen Bar, and the attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara – at odds with the prime minister over a hostage deal and his government’s judicial overhaul, respectively – are also reported to be at risk.
The chair of the conservative Yisrael Beitenu party, Avigdor Lieberman, described the decision as that of a “banana republic”. Former army chief of staff and centrist politician Gadi Eisenkot, whose son was killed in action in Gaza, called the move “unprecedentedly irresponsible”, and said it “weakens the public’s trust in state institutions and harms the ability to win the war and achieve its goals”.
The pair put on a united front in the aftermath of Hamas’s 7 October attack last year, but as the war in Gaza has dragged on, sticking points have emerged. Netanyahu has insisted on continued military pressure on Hamas, while Gallant has pushed for a ceasefire and hostage release deal and is opposed to a permanent military reoccupation of the Palestinian territory.
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