Defense minister’s dismissal tries to shift focus away from Gaza campaign failures, analysts say
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s firing of his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, underscores problems in relation to the viability of the Israeli military’s ground offensive in Gaza and appears to be a strategy to deflect blame, analysts said.
Netanyahu made the bombshell announcement in a video statement, which was posted on the social media platform X, on Nov 5. He confirmed that he had dismissed Gallant, citing a “crisis of trust” and differences over security matters.
“Over the past few months, the trust between the defense minister and me has eroded,” Netanyahu said.
“Significant differences emerged regarding the management of the (military) campaign, accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted government and cabinet decisions,” he said.
Netanyahu added that the differences posed difficulties “for the proper continuation of managing the (military) campaign”.
In a post on X, Gallant said the security of the State of Israel “was and will always remain the mission of my life”.
“I salute Israel’s fallen troops and their families, our wounded veterans, the hostages and their families, all of the IDF’s troops and security forces. I trust you and salute you,” said Gallant, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
Mehmet Rakipoglu, an assistant professor at Mardin Artuklu University in Turkiye, told China Daily that Gallant’s dismissal highlights the Israeli military’s “long-standing concerns about the viability of a ground offensive, warning the government of the likely challenges in achieving victory”.
“Despite support from the United States and other Western actors, Israel has faced notable setbacks against Gaza’s resistance groups, deepening cracks between Netanyahu and Israel’s security establishment,” said Rakipoglu.
The firing of Gallant “seems more like a strategy to deflect blame for these failures rather than a measure to secure gains in Gaza,” he said.
During more than a year since Hamas attacked Israel in October last year, Netanyahu and Gallant have publicly clashed several times, including in May when Gallant criticized Netanyahu’s lack of vision for a post-conflict Gaza.
Gallant has accused Netanyahu of putting his political interests and survival above the interests of his country.
He even led a call for Netanyahu and other leading figures, including Gallant himself, to be investigated for the security failures leading up to the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel.
The latest developments in Tel Aviv also come after the Rishon Le-Zion Magistrates’ Court said a probe was launched into suspicions within the IDF and the Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, that “classified and sensitive intelligence” had been illegally taken from IDF systems, NBC News reported.
The court said this may have caused serious harm to state security and the goal of releasing hostages captured by Hamas on Oct 7 last year.
Netanyahu informed Gallant that his term would end within 48 hours and that he would be replaced by Israel Katz, Netanyahu’s close associate and foreign minister.
The decision was met with widespread criticism and protests in Israel because of Katz’s limited military experience.
Ayman Yousef, a professor of international relations at the Arab American University in Jenin in the West Bank, told China Daily that there was a clash between Netanyahu and Gallant in their vision of the military campaign.
“Netanyahu believes more in military solutions, more violent solutions, and he believes that the Israeli army is capable of achieving all objectives (from) political to strategic and military objectives either in Gaza or in Southern Lebanon,” Yousef said.
“On the other hand, Yoav Gallant is more pragmatic, is more moderate. He thinks that military success cannot be fulfilled fully without putting realistic, measurable, and observable goals to be achieved in the battleground,” Yousef explained.
He also noted that the timing of Gallant’s firing was deliberate in terms of exploiting the presidential election in the United States, where polling took place on Nov 5.
The US has staunchly defended Israel almost at all costs, even as the humanitarian catastrophe unfolded in Gaza, where the staggering cumulative death toll has hit almost 43,400.
Yousef said Netanyahu was also banking on former president Donald Trump beating his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris in the US election. Netanyahu “believes that Israel will have a more comfortable relationship at all levels if the Republican government (led) by Donald Trump wins the election”, the professor said.
Trump had indeed won the election and was set for another stint as US president, according to results projections by US media outlets on Nov 6.
