Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Netanyahu informed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of his decision to remove him from his position, which he has held for nearly two years. Gallant is expected to be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Member of Knesset since the late 1990s who previously served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Transportation for nearly a decade. Gideon Sa’ar, a recent addition to Netanyahu’s coalition who previously served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Education, is set to replace Katz as Foreign Minister.
This decision comes amid recurring and public disagreements between Netanyahu and Gallant over significant issues related to managing the conflict, including negotiations for a hostage deal, on which Gallant was more open than Netanyahu. A critical point of contention has been the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men into military service. Following a Supreme Court ruling about six months ago, Gallant has been adamant about pushing for the draft. Just yesterday, Gallant announced his intention to issue draft orders to 7,000 young Haredi men and recently voiced opposition to the “yeshiva stipends bill,” which seeks to support Haredi students exempt from service. Katz is expected to work more smoothly with Netanyahu and be more acceptable to the Haredi factions, a shift that, alongside Gideon Sa’ar’s support, could contribute to coalition stability.
This is not the first time Netanyahu has dismissed Gallant—a similar move took place in March of last year when Gallant opposed the judicial reform on security grounds. That time, the dismissal was halted in response to widespread public protests, including mass demonstrations, roadblocks, and a general strike by the Histadrut (Israel’s national trade union). These actions led Netanyahu to reconsider. Following the recent announcement, protests have once again erupted nationwide, with roads and intersections blocked; however, it appears this wave of protests lacks the momentum to alter the final outcome.
Gallant will return to his role as a Knesset member for Likud after a particularly turbulent tenure as Defense Minister. His record now includes the October 7 disaster and his management of the conflict over the past year, adding to his long history of service in the IDF, particularly as Commander of the Southern Command. “The security of the State of Israel has always been and will always remain my life’s mission,” Gallant concluded in his farewell speech, saluting all those who have fallen and those who served under his leadership.
