Why Benjamin Netanyahu was always going to fire defence minister Yoav Gallant
analysis
EBy Eric Tlozek
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was always going to be sacked.
He was always too much of a contrast with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting hostage families when the prime minister wouldn't, forming close ties with the United States as his boss ignored the White House, prioritising the advice of senior military and intelligence officials ahead of domestic political goals.
Gallant, a former major-general and naval commando who, since October 7, has been viewed in Israel as a sober and almost apolitical figure, had the support of many Israelis who don't like or trust Netanyahu.
He was vocal in saying Israel needed a "day after" plan for Gaza, proposing Palestinian rule and pockets of intense aid delivery to provide a political alternative to Hamas.
He had also criticised the prime minister's insistence on "total victory", calling it "nonsense".
Gallant wanted an agreement to release Israelis held captive inside Gaza and had the confidence of many hostage families, who called his sacking "another step in efforts to torpedo a hostage deal".
He also pushed for a commission of inquiry into the security and military failings that led to the October 7 attacks, something repeatedly resisted by Netanyahu.
Ultimately it appears that domestic political considerations rather than national security ones have caused Gallant's demise.
His support for drafting large numbers of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the military, vehemently opposed by the key religious parties in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, appears to have been the thing that led to his sacking.
Implications for US
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for both Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Yoav Gallant.
The timing, while the world was glued to the US election, is typically cynical of Netanyahu, who is constantly accused of treating his political survival as more important than political stability.
The dismissal of Gallant has implications for Gaza, the US and for Iran.
Gallant had a close and trusting relationship with the Biden White House and US Defence officials, particularly Secretary Lloyd Austin, with whom he was reported to speak every few days.
His sacking indicates Netanyahu is even less likely to follow US wishes, especially with Democrats appearing to have lost the White House and Senate.
On Iran, Gallant's hawkish statements reportedly belied his preference for a less escalatory path and desire to end the dangerous cycle of tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and its enemy.
But Gallant, a career military officer, was no dove.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is still seeking a warrant to arrest Gallant for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity over Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza, particularly his imposition of a "complete siege" on the territory after the October 7.
"There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed," Gallant said on October 9.
"We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly."
His sacking and replacement with Israel Katz, a veteran political performer better known for posting inflammatory and offensive AI-generated images of foreign leaders on social media than for his national security experience, suggests that the advice of Israel's military and intelligence leadership will become even less important to the country's decision-making.
Yoav Gallant pushed for a commission of inquiry into the security and military failings that led to the October 7 attacks.
Paired with a lame-duck Democratic presidency in the US, some Israeli commentators are predicting a reckless approach by Israel to its continuing campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, perhaps even to the political status of the West Bank.
Gallant's presence in the government may have only been a small point of pragmatism and international awareness, but it was one of the last.
Now we will see what effect his absence has in an increasingly febrile and unpredictable political environment.
By：ABC(责任编辑：admin)
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