Gallant's Firing Linked to Bibi’s Desire for 'Yes Man' Defense Minister While US Busy With Elections

Israel's prime minister linked Gallant's dismissal to a loss of "trust" for the defense chief.

"In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defense minister. 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 defense minister," Netanyahu said in a surprise announcement Tuesday.

"The crisis of trust that has gradually developed between me and the defense minister has become public knowledge, and this crisis does not allow for a proper continuation of the leadership of the campaign. Therefore, I have decided today to terminate the authority of the defense minister. I have decided to appoint [Foreign] Minister Israel Katz in his place," Netanyahu added.

The move sparked a firestorm of criticism in an Israel already divided over domestic policy and the way the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and the broader proxy conflict with Iran are being waged. It also comes in the wake of arrests linked to a probe into the leaking of classified defense documents to press.

Former defense and deputy prime minister and opposition figure Benny Gantz slammed Netanyahu's decision, taking to X and calling Gallant's firing "politics at the expense of national security."

Meanwhile, parliamentary opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Israelis to take to the streets to protest the dismissal.

"Firing Gallant in the middle of a war is insane. Netanyahu is selling out Israel's security and Israel Defense Forces fighters for shameful political survival. The right-wing government prefers traitors to servants. I call on the people of Yesh Atid [party] and all Zionist patriots to take to the streets tonight in protest," Lapid wrote in a social media post.

Firing's Timing Linked to US: Here's How

Yoav Gallant was fired on Election Day in the US so his “contacts in the United States could not exert pressure on the Netanyahu government because they're way, way too busy and don't care at this moment,” Dr. Ori Goldberg, an expert on Israeli and Middle Eastern politics, told Sputnik, commenting on the timing of Netanyahu's decision.

“Gallant like every former Israeli general, certainly one who has risen to the very top of military leadership, has close connections to the Americans. I think the Netanyahu administration is about as far away from Washington as any Israeli government has ever been. Gallant, I think, demanded - because of his opinions and also because of American agendas - that Netanyahu would not surrender to the settler agenda, occupy Gaza and continue the war/genocide,” Goldberg said.

“Netanyahu did not want this pressure. He wanted loyal people and he also wanted to quash and repress any potential resistance within the military that would have been backed by Gallant, because ultimately he is a former general and his loyalty is to his comrades much more than it is to Netanyahu,” the observer explained.

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Asked to comment on the qualifications of Gallant’s replacement, Goldberg said the new defense minister's selection was purely political, and that he has very little else to offer.

Israel Katz is “completely incompetent regardless of any ministerial position he fulfills, which makes him the best option because he has nothing to offer Netanyahu but loyalty…Katz really has no independent power base like Gallant who has the Americans and military. Katz is completely dependent on Netanyahu's good will. Netanyahu wants somebody who is a complete ‘yes man’ in the Ministry of Defense, and this is a very good day to do it, because there's nobody in the United States who will devote even a minute's time to this,” Dr. Goldberg concluded.

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