Minister dismissed

Israeli president warns of upheaval during war

The dismissal of the popular defense minister sparked protests in the metropolis of Tel Aviv.(Bild: APA/Associated Press)

After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, President Isaac Herzog is concerned: "The last thing the State of Israel needs now is a coup and a rupture in the middle of a war," Herzog warned on Tuesday evening against political turbulence in times of war. 

"It is the task of the leadership to act with great responsibility at this time," said the statement by the politician, who comes from the ranks of the opposition Labor Party. The security of the country "must take precedence over all considerations", he added.

Foreign Minister Katz replaces Gallant
Netanyahu had justified Gallant's dismissal with political differences over the conduct of the war. Trust in Gallant had "eroded", according to the head of government's office. The new Defense Minister will be Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Gideon Saar, head of the conservative New Hope party, is to take over the Foreign Ministry.

Netanyahu declared that he had lost confidence in his Defense Minister Gallant.(Bild: APA/AFP)

Gallant: Three points of contention led to rift
Galant named three points of contention with Netanyahu as the cause of his dismissal. These were his opposition to a law that would exempt many strictly religious men in Israel from military service, his demand for a deal to release the hostages held by Hamas and the establishment of a state commission to investigate the massacre in the Israeli border area on October 7 last year. Galant warned of a "mark of Cain" for Israeli society if the hostages who are still alive are not freed.

Thousands protested: highway blocked in Tel Aviv
Members of the opposition criticized the release. Opposition leader Yair Lapid described Gallant's release in the middle of the war as an "act of madness". He called on Israelis to protest. "Take to the streets," wrote the chairman of the opposition Labor Party, Yair Golan, on Platform X. In the Mediterranean metropolis of Tel Aviv and elsewhere, thousands of people responded to the call. In Tel Aviv, they blocked the important city highway Ayalon with burning car tires and chanted "Bibi is a traitor", "Bibi to jail" and "criminal government".

Pictures of the protests in Tel Aviv:

Police minister advocates dismissal
"Politics at the expense of national security", criticized the chairman of the National Union, Benny Gantz, a former member of Netanyahu's now dissolved war cabinet. The right-wing police minister Ben Gvir, on the other hand, welcomed the dismissal. With Gallant, it was "impossible to achieve a complete victory", he said.

The USA praised Gallant as an "important partner in all matters of Israeli security". "As close allies, we will continue to work with Israel's next defense minister," a White House National Security Council spokesman added on Tuesday.

Escalation after Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023
Israel is involved in a tough multi-front war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, which is also allied with Iran. The country is also under attack from militias loyal to Iran in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The conflict with Iran itself, which has been smouldering for decades, has now also broken out openly. The war was triggered by the massacre by Hamas and other extremists from the Gaza Strip in Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 dead and around 250 displaced.