Netanyahu to fire Israeli Defence Minister Gallant https://www.wionews.com/videos/netanyahu-to-fire-israeli-defence-minister-gallant-746873
Goofus vs. Gallant Netanyahu accuses defense minister of ‘anti-Israel narrative,’ exposing rift over war in Gaza https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/13/midd...hu-gallant-victory-hamas-gaza-intl/index.html
It's sounds like Gallant is agreeing to a ceasefire in public statements that Netanyahu does not support. Hamas to release 20-30 live hostages to Israel in phase one of deal, Gallant confirms Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that 20-35 hostages will be released in phase one of a three-phase deal. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-814491
Israeli politicians including Netanyahu have made mealy-mouthed statements condemning the settler violence in the West Bank, but have done nothing to stop it --- and effectively have promoted it for a long time. It's long overdue for the Israeli defense forces and judicial system to take action against the violent settlers -- but don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen. As Gaza burns, settler violence in West Bank is out of control Surging violence in the occupied West Bank will mean a two-state solution remains all but impossible even after the Israel-Hamas war ends https://inews.co.uk/news/world/gaza-burns-west-bank-settler-violence-peace-3237940?ito=smart-news
Interesting to see that Netanyahu holds a slight lead if the election was held today. I would have thought that the more moderate Gantz would be up. Netanyahu leads Gantz as coalition gains ground in new poll Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained a slight lead over Benny Gantz in favorability for the prime minister role. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-816013
The film showing Netanyahu's corruption will be shown at the Toronto Film Festival. Court rejects Netanyahu's request to ban new Toronto Film Festival documentary Netanyahu has requested 'The Bibi Files,' a documentary including 'never-before-seen leaked footage' of corruption interrogations be banned from TIFF. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-819362 ‘I’ve never seen the depth of moral corruption’: controversial Netanyahu doc screens at Toronto Despite a legal attempt to stop it, documentary The Bibi Files, which shows leaked interrogation footage of the Israeli prime minister, made its debut at the festival https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/10/the-bibi-files-netanyahu-documentary-toronto
Likud soars to new high in polls after the humiliation of Hezbollah Compared to the strengthening of the Likud, the National Unity party decreased by 2 seats, coming in at 19 - its lowest figure since the outbreak of the war. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-822009
This is not surprising, but it has finally happened. Israel PM Netanyahu fires defence minister Gallant https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqj07jdzzgno Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired defence minister Yoav Gallant, saying there is a "crisis of trust" between them. Netanyahu said in a statement his trust in Gallant had "eroded" in recent months and Foreign Minister Israel Katz would replace Gallant. Gallant posted on social media that the "security of the state of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life". The sacking has already prompted protests on the streets of Tel Aviv and political opposition leaders have called for wider public demonstrations. Netanyahu and Gallant have long had a divisive working relationship, and over the past year there have been reports of shouting matches between the two men over Israel’s war strategy. Gallant has said a hostage release deal with Hamas should be prioritised ahead of continuing the war in Gaza, a position rejected by the PM. The former defence minister has also been unhappy at plans to continue to allow Israel’s Ultra Othrodox citizens to be exempt from serving in the military. Months before the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, Netanyahu had fired Gallant over political differences, before reinstating him following major public outcry. But on Tuesday Netanyahu said: "In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and the minister of defence. He said although there had been trust and "fruitful work" in the first months of the war, "during the last months this trust cracked". Netanyahu added that "significant gaps were discovered between me and Gallant in the management of the campaign". These were "accompanied by statements and actions that contradict the decisions of the government," he added. Following his firing, Gallant posted only a short message on X, stating that the security of Israel "was and will always remain the mission of my life". His replacement Katz is seen as even more hawkish in terms of military strategy. Another Netanyahu ally, Gideon Sa'ar - who previously held no cabinet portfolio- will become the new foreign minister. Gallant's removal will come into effect in 48 hours. The appointment of the new ministers requires the approval of the government and then the Knesset. Netanyahu first fired Gallant in March 2023 following their disagreement over controversial plans to overhaul the justice system. But he was forced to retract the sacking following massive public protests in several cities in Israel - an event that became known as "Gallant Night." In May this year, Gallant voiced open frustration at the government’s failure to address the question of a post-war plan for Gaza. Gallant wanted Netanyahu to declare publicly that Israel has no plans to take over civilian and military rule in Gaza. It was a rare public sign of divisions within Israel's war cabinet over the direction of the military campaign. “Since October, I have been raising this issue consistently in the cabinet,” Gallant said, “and have received no response". Netanyahu responded by saying that he was "not ready to exchange Hamastan for Fatahstan," in reference to rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah. Responding to Gallant's removal on Tuesday night, members of Israel's political opposition parties called for protests from the public. A group representing the families of people taken hostage by Hamas in its 7 October attack also condemned Netanyhu's dismissal of Gallant, calling it a continuation of efforts to "torpedo" a release deal. Over 100 hostages out of 251 taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023 remain unaccounted for more than a year into the war. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on the incoming minister Katz to “express an explicit commitment to the end of the war and to carry out a comprehensive deal for the immediate return of all the abductees”. Gallant’s dismissal also takes place on the day of the presidential election in the US- Israel’s key backer in its war in Gaza - a timing noted by several Israeli media outlets. Gallant was viewed as having a much better relationship with the White House than Netanyahu. A representative for the White House's National Security Council said on Tuesday: "Minister Gallant has been an important partner on all matters related to the defence of Israel. As close partners, we will continue to work collaboratively with Israel’s next minister of defence." Observers note that Gallant's removal also comes at a time where Netanyahu is under pressure by far-right politicians to pass a bill which would have continued to allow Israel's Ultra Othrodox citizens to be exempt from serving in the military. Gallant had been a high-profile opponent of the bill.
Implementing this ceasefire may bust Netanyahu's coalition. Israeli minister threatens to resign, collapse Netanyahu government if hostage deal goes through https://nypost.com/2025/01/16/world...u-government-if-hostage-deal-is-goes-through/ Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Thursday that his party would resign and collapse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hold on power if the current cease-fire and hostage deal goes through. Gvir, a member of the far right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, slammed the peace deal as unacceptable as he called on other members of Israel’s government to join his protest. “This deal teaches them (Hamas) that they can take hostages and attack, and at the end of the day, they can get what they want,” Gvir said at a news conference, according to a CNN translation. Gvir has previously boasted about derailing previous cease-fire deals, demanding the Jewish state stick to negotiating the release of every hostage at once and continuing the war effort afterwards. Gvir, who has also called for Israel to annex sections of the Gaza Strip, called on fellow right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the head of the Religious Zionism Party who has expressed his own disdain in the deal, to join him in threatening his resignation. Smotrich posted on X late Wednesday that he was demanding “absolute certainty” that Israel can resume the war later, calling the current deal “bad and dangerous” for Israel. Netanyahu needs the support of both parties to keep his coalition from collapsing and costing him his position as prime minister. While Smortrich has yet to signal that he would join the protest, one of Netanyahu’s own ministers in the Likud Party, Amichai Chikli, also threatened his resignation on Thursday over the deal. Chikli, who oversees the Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, said he could not support a deal that would include Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor, along the Egypt-Gaza border. “I hereby undertake that if, God forbid, there is a withdrawal from the Philadelphia Axis (before the war goals are achieved), or if we do not return to fighting in order to complete the war goals – I will resign from my position as a government minister,” Chikli wrote on X. Following the ministers’ threats, the ruling Likud party warned that those who try to derail the cease-fire deal would live on in infamy. “Anyone who dissolves the right-wing government will be remembered as a world scoundrel,” the party said in a joint statement. Despite the blow from his allies, Netanyahu will still have the votes he needs to keep the government going after Opposition Leader Yair Lapid announced he would support the embattled prime minister through the negotiations. “I say to Benjamin Netanyahu, don’t be afraid or intimidated, you will get every safety net you need to make the hostage deal,” Lapid said in a statement. “This is more important than any disagreement we’ve ever had.” While the deal would still remain intact to begin on Sunday to begin the truce and release of 33 hostages, it would effectively mark the end of Netanyahu’s majority in government and allow Lapid to issue new elections whenever he choses.
Why Netanyahu’s political future is as fragile as the ceasefire https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-trump-ceasefire-gaza-f27c1dbbfba4bf268f5368aaceb47e29