As the world focused on the U.S. presidential election, Netanyahu suddenly announced on Tuesday evening he had decided to dismiss Gallant and replace him with foreign minister Israel Katz.
After the news emerged, thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, bringing traffic to a standstill in the city center.
The crowd, many holding Israeli flags, lit bonfires, blew whistles, and banged drums.
Several thousand people demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem, and elsewhere in the city.
There were also protesters in several other towns and Israeli television channels showed police scuffling with some demonstrators.
Netanyahu and Gallant have been at odds over the direction of the war in Gaza, and the prime minister said he had made the decision because of a “crisis of trust.”
Gallant’s firing came a day after he approved the army’s request to draft 7,000 more ultra-Orthodox men.
The issue has been a sticking point with Netanyahu, whose coalition partners support draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox.
A previous attempt to fire Gallant in March 2023, after he called on the prime minister to halt controversial judicial reforms, led to widespread protests against Netanyahu.
On Tuesday night, Gallant held a dramatic news conference which was broadcast on national television, in which he said he disagreed with Netanyahu over three main issues.
‘Moral Obligation To Hostages’
The Times of Israel printed Gallant’s full speech, in which he said there was a, “moral obligation and responsibility to bring our kidnapped sons and daughters back home as quickly as possible, with as many alive as possible, to their families.”Netanyahu has refused to make “concessions” to Hamas to enable a hostage deal, and has also rejected calls for an inquiry into the Oct. 7, 2023 to be set up until after the war is over.
Israel estimates about 100 hostages remain in captivity, but only about 65 of them are still alive.
Gallant, a former military officer who only entered politics in 2015, ended his news conference by saying, “Here, on this occasion, I wish to salute the fallen and their families, the wounded and the disabled, the captives and their families, and the IDF fighters wherever they may be. I trust you and salute you.”
He saluted as he left the podium.
Earlier, Netanyahu said: “In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defense minister.”
“Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defense minister,” he added.
New Defense Minister Is ‘Bulldozer’
“He brings with him an impressive combination of extensive experience and effective execution skills. He is known as a bulldozer who combines responsibility with quiet determination, and all these qualities are crucial for managing the campaign,” he added.But Katz, 69, has little military experience.
Katz is being replaced as foreign minister by Gideon Sa'ar, who once challenged Netanyahu for the leadership of the Likud Party before leaving to form his own party, New Hope, which now sits in the ruling coalition government.
