On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and appointed in his place Israel Katz, who was serving as Foreign Minister.
Netanyahu said in a ministerial meeting, “My highest commitment as Prime Minister of Israel is to preserve Israel’s security and achieve complete victory.”
He added, “In the midst of war, more than ever, there is a need for complete trust between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense.”
Netanyahu continued, “Unfortunately, although this trust existed and there was very fruitful cooperation in the first months of the campaign, in recent months this trust between me and the Minister of Defense has eroded.”
He said, “There are large gaps between me and Gallant regarding the management of the campaign, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted the government’s decisions and the decisions of the mini-ministerial council.”
Minutes after the dismissal of Israel’s Defense Minister…the first comment from Ben Gvir
Minutes after announcing the dismissal of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a comment praising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision.
Continuing his explanation of the reasons, Netanyahu said that he tried to bridge the gaps, but they “widened more and also became known to the public in an unconventional way, and worse than that, they reached the enemy’s knowledge – and our enemies benefited from that,” as he put it.
He described the crisis of trust between him and Gallant as having become a “general issue,” noting, “It is not only me who says this, but most members of the government and almost all members of the mini-ministerial council share the same feeling with me, that it is not possible to continue in this manner.”
Because of the “war compass”… a new dispute between Gallant and Netanyahu
Relations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant are witnessing new tension against the backdrop of disagreements over the management of the war, according to Al Hurra’s correspondent in Tel Aviv.
As for the reason for his choice of Katz, according to him, the former “proved his capabilities and contribution to national security as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Intelligence for five years, and most importantly, as a member of the Mini-Ministerial Council for Political and Security Affairs for many years.”
Netanyahu added that Katz “is known for his ability to implement with a commitment to responsibility and calm firmness, and these matters are very important in managing the campaign,” referring to the open war fronts today between Israel and its opponents, including Palestinian factions and armed militias loyal to Iran.
In addition, Netanyahu said, “I spoke today with Minister Gideon Sa’ar and offered him to join his bloc in the coalition and assume the position of Foreign Minister,” because Sa’ar has extensive experience and vision in the fields of politics and security, and will constitute “a strong addition to the leadership team.”
The Israeli Prime Minister considered that joining the Sa’ar bloc would enhance the stability of the coalition and the stability of the government, and this is “very important at all times, especially in times of war.”
During the past months, a disagreement emerged between Netanyahu’s approaches to the war that has been going on for more than a year in the Gaza Strip, and the escalation on Israel’s northern border with Hezbollah since last September.
A week ago, Gallant said in a letter published by the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” that “the war is being conducted without a compass and it is necessary to update its goals.”
He added: “The current situation in which we act without a clear compass, and without updating the war objectives, harms the management of the battle and the decisions of the Council of Ministers. The major developments in the war, especially the exchange of direct strikes between Israel and Iran, increase the need to hold a discussion and update the war objectives with a comprehensive look at the various arenas and interconnections.” “between them.”
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