Israeli PM dismisses defence minister, sparking protests across country | CBC News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts. The move sparked protests nationwide, including a mass gathering that paralyzed central Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu took the step as the world’s attention was focused on the U.S. presidential election. The prime minister cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” in his Tuesday evening announcement as he replaced Gallant with a longtime loyalist.

“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”

In the early days of the war, Israel’s leadership presented a unified front as it responded to the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant has taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the militant group.

Disagreement on 3 main issues: Gallant

In a late-night news conference broadcast on national TV, Gallant said that he had disagreed with Netanyahu over three main issues: the need to end controversial exemptions from the military draft for ultra-Orthodox men, the urgent need for a hostage deal, and the need to establish an official commission of inquiry into the political and security failures when Hamas militants stormed into Israel and killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel estimates that about 100 hostages remain in captivity, only about 65 of them still alive.

With military service compulsory for most Jews, Gallant said that drafting the ultra-Orthodox was both an issue of fairness and security at a time when Israel faces so many challenges.

He said a hostage deal was needed “as quickly as possible when they are still alive” and said there would be “no forgiveness” for neglecting them. He also said a full investigation into the events of Oct. 7 was the only way to ensure the government would learn the proper lessons.

Netanyahu has rejected calls for an inquiry, saying it should only take place when the war is over.

Gallant ended his statement by honouring the soldiers serving in the army and those who have died in the wars. He held up his hand and saluted as he walked away from the podium.

Many of the families of the hostages, along with tens of thousands of people who have joined anti-government protests, accuse Netanyahu of scuttling a deal to maintain his hold on power.

Netanyahu’s hard-line partners have threatened to bring down the government if he makes concessions to Hamas, raising the risk of early elections at a time when the prime minister’s popularity is low. This week, authorities announced the arrest of a Netanyahu aide on suspicion of leaking classified information to foreign media that gave the prime minister political cover as hostage talks fell apart.

‘An act of madness’: Opposition leader

“Firing Gallant in the middle of a war is an act of madness,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said on X. “Netanyahu is selling Israel’s security and the Israeli army soldiers for a disgraceful political survival.”

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, whose largely ceremonial office is meant to help unify the country, called the dismissal “the last thing Israel needs.”

The grassroots forum representing hostage families said Gallant’s dismissal is “a direct continuation of the ‘efforts’ to torpedo the abductee deal.”

Within hours, thousands of protesters gathered in central Tel Aviv, blocking the city’s main highway and crippling traffic. The crowd, many holding blue-and-white Israeli flags and others blowing whistles and pounding drums, gathered around multiple bonfires.

Several thousand people demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the city. Protesters gathered and blocked roads in several other spots across the country, and Israeli TV stations showed images of police scuffling with protesters.

Previous attempt sparked protest

Netanyahu’s previous attempt to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against the prime minister. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer, but held off, until Tuesday’s announcement.

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Israel Katz, Gallant’s replacement, currently serves as foreign minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran cabinet minister. Katz thanked Netanyahu and pledged to lead the security establishment to victory in the wars against Israel’s enemies.

Katz, 69, was a junior officer in the military decades ago and has little military experience, though he has been a key member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet over the years. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.

Netanyahu has a long history of neutralizing his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.

“But they kept getting wider,” he said. “Our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.”