the essential
Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Minister of Defense, has just been thanked by the country's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. A very political dismissal, denounced by figures in the Israeli opposition. Decryption.
“Too big gaps between [Benjamin Netanyahou] and his minister on the conduct of the wars” in Gaza and Lebanon got the better of Yoav Gallant, head of the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Tuesday, November 5, while the world had its eyes fixed on the United States, in In the middle of election night, the Prime Minister announced the dismissal of his Minister of Defense A very political maneuver, justified by many by irreconcilable strategic disagreements.
Disagree on the issue of hostages and military conscription
Liberation indicates that in the televised address given by Yoav Gallant, shortly after his dismissal, the former Israeli Defense Minister returned to the moral duty to bring back the hostages held by Hamas “as quickly as possible.” For him, this objective had to justify any ceasefire agreement with Hamas, a major point of disagreement with Benjamin Netanyahu, as recalled The Echoes. The latter pursuing a logic of “total war” on the Islamist movement.
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The announcement of the dismissal of Yoav Gallant is a source of anguish for the families of the hostages who saw in him one of the last hopes of liberation. Like them, opposition leader Yaïr Lapid deplored the dismissal of “the only person in whom we could trust in this crazy government”, reports The World.
Furthermore, Yoav Gallant wanted to establish military conscription for Orthodox Jews (now exempt if they devote themselves to the study of sacred texts, Editor's note), which the head of government has always refused.
A commission of inquiry into October 7
Another point of disagreement between the two men, the holding of a commission of inquiry into the attack of October 7. For Yoav Gallant, it is essential to “learn lessons from what happened”. However, Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to do so, for fear of being called into question, according to Israeli media relayed by The Echoes. Many criticize the Israeli Prime Minister for having “banked on Hamas by allowing its financing by Qatar with a view to weakening the Palestinian Authority chaired by Mahmoud Abbas and thus blocking any possibility of creating a Palestinian state recognized by the international community”, as the daily explains.
A way to distract attention from scandals
Finally, for many observers, this dismissal is a way of talking about things other than the scandals which are shaking Netanyahu's government. The first was nicknamed “Israeli watergate”, it concerns a potential leak of secret defense documents orchestrated by people close to the Prime Minister. According to Liberationthis leak would have “harmed the efforts made to free the Israeli hostages”. A maneuver that some Israeli media attribute to those close to Netanyahu, keen to block any agreement with Hamas. Another scandal raises suspicions of forgery linked to October 7, 2023.
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A “bulldozer” will replace it
Much more committed to his cause, Yoav Gallant's replacement, Israel Katz, is seen in Israel as a “puppet” of Netanyahu, indicates the Israel correspondent of Liberation. Nicknamed “the bulldozer”, Israel Katz is the former foreign minister of the Jewish state.
A wave of protests in Israel
“The decision to dismiss a defense minister in the midst of war in Gaza and Lebanon is irresponsible. It threatens our national security. We demand that the Supreme Court intervene immediately,” lawyer Eliad Shraga said in a statement. representing two Israeli opposition movements. For his part, former member of the Israeli war cabinet Benny Gantz denounced the “timing of the decision”, deploring a “political agreement made on the backs of our soldiers”, we read in The World.
