Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday he fired his popular defense minister, Joav Gallantin a surprising announcement that came as the country is facing wars in many places across the region.

Netanyahu and Gallant have been at odds over the war Gaza. But Netanyahu avoided taking shots at his rival. Netanyahu cited “huge gaps” and a “trust crisis” between the men in his announcement on Tuesday evening.

“During war, more than ever, there is a need for complete trust between the prime minister and the defense minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was trust and there was very good work, in the last months this trust broke down between me and the minister of defense.”

In the early days of the war, Israel’s leaders were united in their response Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war continues and spreads into Lebanon, important policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant took a more pragmatic approach, saying the military created the necessary conditions for a negotiated settlement that would bring hostages held by the group.

Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect for his ruthless, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel has always been my lifelong goal, and always will be.”

Gallant wore a simple black button-down shirt throughout the war as a sign of grief for the October 7 attack and formed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Last attempt at Netanyahu will fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of ​​sacking Gallant in the summer but held off until Tuesday’s announcement.

Gallant will be replaced Foreign Minister Israel KatzNetanyahu who was loyal and a cabinet minister who was a junior military officer. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently joined the government, will take over the foreign affairs position.

Netanyahu has a long history of eliminating his opponents. In his statement, he said he made “numerous attempts” to close the gaps with Gallant.

“But they continued to expand. They also gained access to public information in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they gained access to enemy information – our enemies enjoyed it and benefited greatly from it,” he said.