Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has just fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and replaced him with Minister Israel Katz.
Netanyahu says the trust with Gallant became broken and despite efforts to repair it, it just kept getting worse and worse.
Here’s his statement:
🚨 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's complete statement about the firing of Gallant:
My highest obligation as Prime Minister of Israel is to maintain Israel's security and bring us to a complete victory.
More than ever, in the midst of a war, full trust is required between… pic.twitter.com/q8c6c3h8Qx
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) November 5, 2024
My highest obligation as Prime Minister of Israel is to maintain Israel’s security and bring us to a complete victory.
More than ever, in the midst of a war, full trust is required between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense.
Unfortunately, although there was such trust in the first months of the campaign and very fruitful work, during the last months, this trust cracked between me and the Minister of Defense.
Significant gaps were discovered between Gallant and me in the war’s management, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted the government’s and the cabinet’s decisions.
I tried to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider. They also came to the public’s knowledge unacceptably, and worse than that, they came to our enemy—our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.
Different opinions in open debates, everyone knows, those who know me – this is my way of conducting discussions, evaluations, and decisions. Everyone knows that. However, the crisis of trust that gradually opened up between the Minister of Defense and me has become public domain, and this crisis does not allow for the expected continuation of the campaign management.
I’m not the only one who says this. Most of the government and most of the cabinet members —almost all of them—share this feeling that it is impossible to continue like this.
In light of this, I decided today to terminate the term of office of the Minister of Defense. In his place, I decided to appoint Minister Israel Katz. Israel Katz has already proven his abilities and contribution to national security as foreign minister, finance minister, and intelligence minister for five years, and no less important than that, as a member of the political and security cabinet for many years.
He brings with him an impressive combination of rich experience and executive ability. He is known as a bulldozer with a combination of responsibility and firmness, quiet firmness, and all of these are very important for managing the campaign.
In addition, I spoke today with Minister Gideon Sa’ar and suggested that he join the coalition with his faction and fill the position of Foreign Minister. For many years, Gideon Sa’ar has been a member of the government and the cabinet, and he brings with him extensive experience and judgment in the fields of policy and security. He will be a significant reinforcement to our leadership team.
His accession and that of his faction will add to the stability of the coalition and the stability of the government, which are very important at any time, especially in times of war. I am convinced that these steps will strengthen the government and the cabinet and turn them into bodies that will work together in harmony and cooperation for the security of the State of Israel, for the citizens of the State of Israel, and our victory.
Mark Levin responded to the move saying “Outstanding decision by Bibi. How long can a Benedict Arnold be tolerated?”