Malte Ian Lauterbach reports on recent critical developments in Israel. On the evening of US elections, Netanyahu has surprisingly and unexpectedly fired his defence minister Gallant. He – a former high-ranking general who later served in key government roles – is replaced by current foreign minister Israel Katz, known for his glaring rhetoric. This rhetoric included declaring Antonio Guterres, the 9th general secretary of the United Nations, persona non grata in Israel, claiming his failures to criticize the Iranian missile attacks on Israel constituted support of terrorism.
The late defense minister Gallant, who had been in office since late 2022, and Netanyahu had repeatedly clashed on multiple issues, from conduct of the army in Gaza to issues such as the drafting of the ultraorthodox Jews (more on both later). His positions, which western leaders often knew to be pragmatic and moderate, clashed with Netanyahu’s hardline stance.
After Gallant repeatedly warned the public on the dangers to democracy and the security of the state, his dissent on the judicial overhaul led to his removal from office. This firing was repealed after massive protests and rocket fire on Northern Israel. These two events, albeit not related in origin, led to Gallant’s reinstatement as defense minister. However, tensions between Gallant and Netanyahu remained, with the former voicing concerns over the government’s proposed judicial reforms.
The two repeatedly split over Gallant’s plans to draft orthodox ‘Haredi’ Jews into the IDF. He argued integrating the Haredi, historically exempt from military service, into military service was crucial for national unity and security, while Netanyahu and his allies resisted such efforts, prioritizing the interests of the Haredi political parties who threatened to leave the government if the bill was implemented.
Other splits included Gallant’s military strategy, which often clashed with Netanyahu’s hawkish approach. Gallant advocated for a more measured and restrained response to security threats, especially with the war against Lebanon and Iran, while Netanyahu pushed for more aggressive and confrontational tactics.
Additionally, Gallant repeatedly pushed for negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, a stance that Netanyahu often disagreed with.
Gallant’s removal from office was reportedly because of the erosion of trust between him and the government. However, others – including me – suspect a political calculation by Netanyahu, with the US elections promising lesser news coverage.
As Netanyahu is still struggling with another political scandal, criticism is mounting once more. One of his closest aides reportedly sent faked documents about Hamas goals in the war to multiple newspapers, with the goal of misleading them on the war effort.
Regardless of the reasons, Gallant’s dismissal has sparked outrage among Israelis who view him as a principled and experienced military leader.
This leaves us with the question – who exactly is the new defense minister, besides a political hardliner who opposes the two-state solution and advocates for continued settlement expansion in the West Bank?
Israel Katz served in a number of key government roles, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2021 and in 2024 and the Minister of Intelligence from 2015 to 2020. He served as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and later, after the war, as a platoon commander in a paratrooper brigade.
His limited role in the army shows that he lacks the extensive military experience that Gallant possessed. This is a problem for him, as he is replacing a leader whom the IDF saw very favorably and whom the military leadership trusted.
Katz aforementioned political views align heavily with Netanyahu’s goals. Besides supporting settlements in the West Bank, his military strategy is likely similar to that of Netanyahu’s. This similarity could complicate ongoing hostage negotiations and plans to end the war in Lebanon. Although the IDF unofficially declared “Mission Accomplished in Lebanon” in internal communiques last week, with Katz at the helm of the Defense Ministry, it is highly likely that the IDF will attempt to push deeper into Lebanon. In lieu of recent successes – which included dismantling massive underground bunkers and capturing large stocks of munitions – at the cost of effectively depopulating the Lebanese villages on the border and more than 40 Israeli soldiers have died. As a result, the war is likely going to drag on for now.
As the dust settles, it is most likely that Israel’s citizens will likely protest the government’s actions, as they did during the last time when Gallant was removed from office.
