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An analysis by Susanne Brunner
06.11.2024, 01:24
Defense Minister Joav Galant has long been on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “hit list.” He had already fired Galant once in March 2023 – long before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. The reason at the time: Galant had publicly criticized Netanyahu’s planned “judicial reform”.
The planned restructuring of the Israeli judiciary drove hundreds of thousands onto the streets; they feared that the courts and thus Israel’s democracy would be weakened. The protests following Galant’s dismissal were so massive that Netanyahu had to resign. Now he is firing his defense minister again: in the middle of a multi-front war.
The “sensible” contact person for the USA
Galant was the “sensible” contact for the USA and in a government in which right-wing extremist ministers and ultra-religious parties have criminal records, led by a prime minister who is himself on trial on corruption charges. Now Netanyahu is firing him, just as the US is busy with its turbulent presidential elections.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Joav Galant at a military event in late October.
Reuters/Amir Cohen
Netanyahu cites a lack of trust and different views on the continuation of the wars that Israel is waging as the main reason for the dismissal of his defense minister. The trust between the prime minister and his defense minister was indeed broken.
After the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Prime Minister Netanyahu accused the army and secret services of failing. He never took responsibility himself. In addition, an affair surrounding confidential military data that was passed on to the media puts a strain on the relationship between the two.
Netanyahu gives in to the small, radical parties
In his farewell speech, three hours after his release, Joav Galant said: He was released because he was in favor of a hostage agreement, for conscription for all, with no exceptions for the ultra-religious, and because he wanted an investigation into the events of September 7th. October 2023 requested.
The right-wing extremists in Netanyahu’s coalition have always opposed a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage deal. The ultra-religious do not want to adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling, which also forces them into military service. Netanyahu has given in to the small, radical parties. Better to fire the defense minister than risk his coalition falling apart.
For Galant comes “Bulldozer”
Netanyahu has replaced Galant with the hardliner Israel Katz, whom he praises as a “bulldozer”. Katz is in favor of annexing the occupied Palestinian West Bank, and he has declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres “persona non grata” in Israel.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the dismissal of the defense minister in the middle of the war “the craziest event in Israel’s history.” Knowing full well that no one is listening to him: especially not on the night of the US presidential election.
Susanne Brunner
Head of foreign editorial department
Open the people box
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Susanne Brunner worked for SRF as a correspondent in the Middle East between 2018 and 2022. She grew up in Canada, Scotland, Germany and Switzerland. She studied journalism in Ottawa. At Radio SRF she was first an editor and presenter at SRF 3. Then she went to San Francisco as a correspondent and, after her return, was a correspondent in French-speaking Switzerland. She also moderated the “Tagestalk” on Radio SRF 1. She has been head of the foreign editorial team at Radio SRF since September 2022.
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