Here is the full text of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s address to the nation, approximately three hours after his dismissal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on November 5, 2024.
A few minutes before 8 p.m., the Prime Minister informed me that he had decided to dismiss me from my position as Minister of Defense, in the middle of the war.
I made it clear to the Prime Minister that my priorities, which have remained constant and clear throughout nearly fifty years of public service, are: The State of Israel; IDF and the security establishment, and only after that, everything else, my personal future.
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The decision to dismiss me comes after a series of impressive achievements, unprecedented in the history of the State of Israel. Operations of the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad and the entire security system.
We struck in Gaza and Lebanon, in Judea and Samaria. We have eliminated terrorist leaders across the Middle East and, for the first time, conducted a precise and lethal strike in Iran, among other operations.
I am proud of the results obtained by the security services. I have confidence in the commanders and soldiers.
The security of Israel has been and remains my life’s mission, and I am fully committed to it.
Since October 7 I have focused on one goal: victory in the war.
Throughout the past year, I have directed the security services to achieve this goal for the State of Israel and its citizens, providing full support to the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Mossad and the Ministry of Defense.
My dismissal is due to disagreements on three main points:
The first is my firm position that everyone of conscription age must serve in the IDF and defend the State of Israel.
It is no longer just a social issue; it is the most crucial issue for our existence – the security of the State of Israel and the people of Zion.
During this campaign we lost hundreds of soldiers, we had thousands wounded and disabled, and the war is not over.
In the years to come we will have to face complex challenges; the wars are not over and the noise of battles has not died away. We must face these future challenges and prepare ourselves.
In these circumstances, there is no choice – everyone must serve in the IDF and participate in the mission of defending the State of Israel.
We must not allow a discriminatory and corrupt law to be passed in the Knesset that would exempt tens of thousands of citizens from this burden. The time for change has come.
The second question concerns our moral obligation and responsibility to return our kidnapped sons and daughters as quickly as possible, with as many of them alive, to their families.
Because of my role, my experience and the military achievements of the past year, with a clear view of reality, I affirm that this goal is achievable, but that it involves painful compromises that Israel can bear, and that the IDF can manage.
We cannot bring back the hostages who died.
There is not and will be no atonement for the abandonment of the hostages. This will be the mark of Cain on the forehead of Israeli society and those who follow this erroneous path.
The third issue is the need to learn lessons through in-depth and relevant investigation. At the national level – political, security and military – there is a way to discover the truth and learn from it: a state commission of inquiry.
I have said it and I repeat it, I am responsible for the security system put in place over the last two years, for its successes and its failures. Only clarification and honest investigation will allow us to learn lessons and strengthen ourselves to face future challenges.
I declare here, as clearly and explicitly as possible, that difficult challenges still lie ahead; against Iran and its allies in the region.
The security system is solid; we strike our enemies and defeat them. But the battle is not over. Unfortunately, we are destined to live many more years by the sword, but it is better for the sword to remain in our hands than to have it at our throats.
In this regard, I say: the IDF and other security organizations are the shield that guarantees the life of the State of Israel. I have not and will not allow harm to be done to the IDF or other security organizations, commanders and soldiers.
Citizens of Israel, I will continue to defend my priorities and the principles I have set forth. Throughout my years in the IDF, during training and operations, on land, above and underwater, I learned that in the dark and fog, you must navigate by compass. In our situation, when the fog of war is thick and moral darkness engulfs us, I cling to the compass.
I hope that in addition to the security establishment, which has always followed this path, our elected officials will also adopt it. It is the right thing to do, both practically and morally.
On this occasion, I would like to salute the dead and their families, the wounded and mutilated, the captives and their families, and the fighters of the Israeli army wherever they are. I trust you and I salute you.
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