The situation is not good within Israel itself, which is fighting a fierce battle against Hamas, Hezbollah and now Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Amidst massive protests for the release of hostages, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he is preparing to sack Defense Minister Yoav Galant from his post. Relations between Galant and Netanyahu have not been good for some months. Netanyahu’s sudden decision in the midst of the war has surprised everyone. However, many ministers of the government have been demanding the removal of Galant for a long time. Galant has criticized Netanyahu’s decisions on several occasions. State media has confirmed this quoting an official of the PM Bureau.
Where did the conflict between Netanyahu and Galant lie?
The relationship between Galant and Netanyahu has been strained since March 2023. Netanyahu then announced that he would fire Galant for criticizing the government’s judicial reform. However, two weeks later, he changed his decision due to heavy public pressure. Since then, the relationship between Netanyahu and Galant has soured. Members of Netanyahu’s cabinet have been demanding Galant’s dismissal for several months. Galant has publicly disagreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu over his opposition to the ultra-Orthodox military recruitment bill supported by the government, the hostage deal, and the issue of control over the Philadelphia corridor in Gaza.
Who will be Netanyahu’s new commander
New Hope President Gideon Sa’ar may replace Yoav Galant as Israeli Defense Minister. However, according to a report by Israeli Channel 12, if Gideon does not get the post of Defense Minister, he may be made Foreign Minister. At the same time, current Foreign Minister Israel Kats may get this responsibility in place of Galant. Channel 12 has also claimed that New Hope’s MK Ze’ev Elkin and Sharon Haskel may also be offered ministerial posts.
According to the Times of Israel, there have been rumors for months that Netanyahu is going to remove Galant. The PM Bureau has confirmed that Defense Minister Galant will be fired soon, but the Prime Minister’s Office has denied that they are in talks with Gideon for the new defense minister position. Gilod’s spokesperson has also claimed that there have been no new discussions with Netanyahu on this issue.
Where is the bottleneck coming from
In August, Channel 12 reported that discussions to give Gideon the charge of Defense Ministry had failed because Prime Minister Netanyahu’s wife and advisers feared that Gideon could not be trusted by the government for a post like Defense Minister. Gideon also said in July that he is not considering returning to the coalition with Netanyahu. However, in the latest statement, Gideon did indicate that if he is given the post of Defense Minister, he is ready to consider it.