In a video statement, Netanyahu said that the trust cracked between him and Yoav Gallant during the last months. Israel Katz appointed new Defence minister and Gideon Saar new Foreign minister….reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday evening that he was removing Defence Minister Yoav Gallant from his position and replacing him with Israel Katz, citing a “crisis of trust” that “gradually deepened”.
The move is a stunning shift after the Prime Minister nearly made a similar move in September but made an about-turn.
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In a terse letter released by the Prime Minister’s office, Netanyahu tells Gallant that “your tenure will end 48 hours from the receipt of this letter”.
“I would like to thank you for your service as Defence Minister,” he concludes.
Gallant has been replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Minister without Portfolio Gideon Sa’ar will replace Katz as Foreign Minister.
“Unfortunately, although in the first months of the war, there was trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the Defence Minister,” said Netanyahu in a video statement.
He said that they disagreed on the management of the war and that Gallant made decisions and statements that contract Cabinet decisions.
Netanyahu also accused Gallant of indirectly aiding Israel’s enemies.
“I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider,” he said.
“They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy — our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.”
Netanyahu added that most members of the government agree with him.
The decision comes amid stress in Netanyahu’s coalition over the draft of ultra-Orthodox leaders.
Gallant on Monday approved the drafting of 7,000 more Haredim into the Israeli Defense Forces IDF.
Following his firing by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in favour of Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Gallant issued a terse statement, saying that “the security of the State of Israel always was, and will always remain my life’s mission”.
It also comes as Americans head to the polls, and US attention is elsewhere.
Netanyahu first announced that he would fire Gallant after the latter warned in March 2023 that the government’s judicial reforms were endangering national security. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest in what became known as “the Night of Gallant,” and Netanyahu backtracked.
The relationship between the Prime Minister and Defence Minister has deteriorated since the outbreak of war on October 7.
Gallant publicly accused Netanyahu of involving political considerations in his decision-making, while Netanyahu accused Gallant of attempting to topple the government from within.
Gallant is also an obstacle to Netanyahu’s attempt to obtain a haredi exemption from IDF service, and his removal may contribute to solving this problem for Netanyahu as well.
New foreign and defence ministers
Israel Katz, the new Israel Defence Minister, is described as a long-time ally and loyalist of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
A member of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party, in which he was previously President of the party’s convention, Katz has held multiple Cabinet roles going back to 2003.
As Foreign Minister, Katz drew international attention for his pointed attacks on world leaders and international organisations that had expressed opposition to Israeli military actions, particularly in Gaza.
He spearheaded a diplomatic battle against the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and last month Israel’s Parliament banned the agency from working in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.
On Monday, Katz instructed his Ministry to formally notify the United Nations that Israel was cancelling its agreements with UNRWA.
Last month, Katz triggered outrage when he declared UN Chief Antonio Guterres “persona non-grata in Israel” and wrote in a post on X that he would ban him from entering the country.
Before serving as Foreign Minister, Katz’s most notable role was as Transport Minister.
He spent a decade in the post from 2009 to 2019 but also held the Energy and Finance portfolios in various Netanyahu Cabinets.
Netanyahu on Tuesday appointed Gideon Saar as the new Foreign Minister. “I spoke today with Minister Gideon Saar and offered him and his faction to join the coalition and take on the position of Foreign Minister,” Netanyahu said in a statement from his office.
Gideon Saar is an Israeli politician currently serving as a member of the Knesset for New Hope. He worked as an aide to the Attorney General between 1995 and 1997. He was appointed Cabinet Secretary in 1999 and again in 2001.
He was first elected to the Knesset as a member of Likud in 2003. Saar served until 2014. During this period he served as Education Minister from 2009 to 2013 and Interior Minister from 2013 to 2014.
In September 2014, Saar resigned from the post. After a hiatus from politics for over two years, Saar announced his return and intention to run in the next Likud primaries. He returned to the Knesset in 2019, and unsuccessfully challenged Netanyahu for the leadership of Likud.
He subsequently formed his party, New Hope, and became Minister of Justice from 2021 to 2022 and Deputy Prime Minister in 2021 in the Thirty-sixth government.
In 2022, Saar formed an electoral pact with Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, named National Unity. As a member of the alliance, he returned to the opposition following the 2022 election. After the breakout of the Israel–Hamas war, National Unity joined the coalition, and Saar was named Minister without portfolio. He was also named as an observer in the Israeli war cabinet.
In March 2024, Saar withdrew New Hope from National Unity, and from the coalition, and resigned as Minister. In September this year, he joined the Israeli Cabinet.
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