Rumours swirl around Netanyahu’s firing of Gallant

The image of now former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant saluting the fallen, soldiers, hostages, and their families will go down in Israeli history as one of the most poignant and iconic images of the war. The dignity and grace of Gallant as he addressed the Israeli nation, shortly after being axed for the second time by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, knew no bounds.

Once again, on his firing, Israeli citizens took to the streets in protest, albeit in smaller numbers than the uprisings of March 2023, in a display of dismay, anger, and solidarity.

What happened that the prime minister saw fit to fire his defense minister during a war?

While the eyes of the world were on the elections in the United States taking place on the same day, 5 November, Netanyahu sent Gallant a letter, firing him with 10 minutes warning before it went public.

It’s no secret that the two men, both Likudniks, didn’t always see eye to eye. Last March, Netanyahu fired Gallant, who had publicly warned that the internal rift over the government’s plans regarding judicial reform was so deep, it would embolden Israel’s enemies and pose a tangible risk to national security. Two weeks later, amid vast public protests, the prime minister reversed the move. This time, Netanyahu didn’t budge, instead appointing Foreign Minister Israel Katz, more malleable to him, as his replacement.

Netanyahu’s reason for firing Gallant was that “there were significant gaps” in how they saw the prosecution of the war. Netanyahu wants what he calls “total victory”, and Gallant, backed by his security chiefs, advocated for a deal to ensure the release of the hostages, now that Hamas had pretty much been defeated.

This wasn’t the only area where the two clashed. Gallant, who enjoys a high approval rating in Israel for helping to restore faith in the military at a time when confidence in institutions like the government has been low, was adamant about the importance of calling up ultra-Orthodox of conscription age. Before his firing, Gallant insisted on the call-up of 7 000 from the Haredi community. This put him in direct conflict with coalition members who joined the government on condition that military exemption continued. It had many angry Israelis wondering if Gallant had been sacrificed on the altar of Netanyahu’s political expediency.

Gallant addressed this in his speech, saying, “The first is my firm stance that everyone of conscription age must serve in the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and defend the state of Israel. This issue is no longer just a social matter; it’s the most critical matter for our existence – the security of the state of Israel and the people living in Zion. In this campaign, we have lost hundreds of soldiers, we have suffered thousands of wounded and disabled, and the war is continuing. Under these circumstances, there’s no choice, everyone must serve in the IDF and participate in the mission to defend the state of Israel. We must not allow a discriminatory and corrupt law to pass in the Knesset that would exempt tens of thousands of citizens from bearing this burden. The time for change has come.”

At the time of writing this, 375 soldiers have fallen in Gaza and Lebanon. This number excludes the hundreds who fell on 7 October.

In his speech, Gallant emphasised the priority of bringing back the hostages, saying, “Our moral obligation and responsibility is to bring our kidnapped sons and daughters back home as quickly as possible, with as many alive as possible, to their families.

“Based on my role, experience, and the military achievements of the past year, with a clear-eyed view of reality, I state that this is achievable, but involves painful compromises that Israel can bear and the IDF can deal with. We cannot bring back those hostages who have died. There is and will not be any atonement for abandoning the captives. It will be a mark of Cain on the forehead of Israeli society and those leading this mistaken path.”

Gallant has also repeatedly called for an investigation into the failures that led to 7 October. This is another area of conflict with the prime minister, who has rebuffed any inquiry, saying the time isn’t right during a war.

“When it comes to the national level – political, security, and military – there’s a name for uncovering the truth and learning from it: a state commission of inquiry,” Gallant said. “I have said and I repeat, I am responsible for the security establishment over the past two years, for the successes and failures. Only sunlight and a truthful investigation will allow us to learn and build our strength to face future challenges.”

Rumours swirled that perhaps IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar could be the next to go, but the prime minister’s office swiftly put out a statement refuting it.

A fatigued Israel has endured war for more than 400 days, fought on seven fronts – nine if you count global antisemitism and the lawfare waged at us at the International Court of Justice. We still have 101 hostages languishing in the terror tunnels of Gaza, and they remain our absolute priority. For Israelis, Yoav Gallant was a safe pair of hands, a man with an impeccable military record, and a former general. We are now in unchartered waters with the less experienced Katz. We have faith in our military and security apparatus, and hope that this far into the war, our prime minister knows what he is doing.

Gallant ended his speech with a salute, saying, “On this occasion, I wish to salute the fallen and their families, the wounded and the disabled, the captives and their families, and the IDF fighters wherever they may be.”

A grateful nation salutes him for his service and unwavering commitment to our security.

• Rolene Marks is a Middle East commentator often heard on radio and TV, and is the co-founder of Lay of the Land and the SA-Israel Policy Forum.