JERUSALEM >> Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on Tuesday over differences on the prosecution of the war in the Gaza Strip — a risky step at a moment when Israel is fighting on two fronts. The move sparked protests across the country, including a large gathering near the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem.

Gallant was pushing for a cease-fire deal in Gaza that would secure the release of hostages held there, and his dismissal removes the main proponent in the Israeli government for such an agreement. Gallant and Netanyahu also clashed over domestic political issues, particularly the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Israelis.

Large crowds opposed to Gallant’s dismissal blocked traffic and lit bonfires on a major highway in Tel Aviv.

Gallant, 65, had increasingly been viewed as an internal opponent to the prime minister, and he has been a more moderate voice within the government on security issues.

Netanyahu, who announced the decision in a video statement, said, “significant gaps on handling the war” emerged between him and Gallant.

Main issues

Gallant said Netanyahu fired him over three main disagreements: the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews, a deal to release hostages and his call for a state commission of inquiry into the security failures surrounding the attack Hamas led on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“My firm stance is that every military-age person must be enlisted,” Gallant said in a statement carried live on television. “They must serve in the Israel Defense Forces and defend the state of Israel. This is no longer just a social issue. It is a paramount issue for our security and existence.”

Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers who provide critical support in Netanyahu’s coalition have opposed measures to draft their constituents, even as Israeli casualties in Gaza and Lebanon mount. Had Gallant succeeded in advancing his position, it could have put Netanyahu’s coalition at risk.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Gallant saluted Israeli forces, fallen soldiers, the hostages and their families.

War on two fronts

The prime minister’s decision comes at an extraordinary moment for Israel. Its military is fighting against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, two groups backed by Iran, and bracing for a possible Iranian attack in a cycle of retaliatory strikes. It is also conducting raids to try to root out Palestinian militants in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Israel’s closest ally, the United States, is voting in a presidential election that could have major implications for the U.S. approach to the war in the Middle East. Gallant maintained close contact with senior U.S. officials, who often chose to communicate with him instead of Netanyahu, a dynamic that frustrated the Israeli prime minister. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Gallant to discuss the situation in Gaza and Lebanon.

The White House’s National Security Council avoided directly criticizing Netanyahu for the firing. It said that Gallant “has been an important partner on all matters related to the defense of Israel” and pledged to “work collaboratively” with the next Israeli defense minister.

Netanyahu ally hired

Netanyahu named Israel Katz, the foreign minister with scant security experience, as the new defense minister. Katz, an ally of the prime minister, is unlikely to stand in the way of Netanyahu’s approach to cease-fire talks, which critics say have undermined the possibility of a deal. He is also expected to align with the prime minister when it comes to deciding how long to fight in Lebanon and how to respond to threats from Iran.

Netanyahu said he offered Gideon Saar, a hard-liner, as a replacement for Katz as foreign minister and to formally bring his small, right-wing party into the coalition. Saar, a hard-liner and once a virulent critic of Netanyahu, joined his government in September from the opposition, but his faction didn’t sign a coalition agreement. If Saar’s party formally joins the coalition, it would give Netanyahu an extra degree of political stability.

The decision also came as a new national security scandal was unfolding in Israel. Israeli authorities are investigating a spokesperson who has been working over the past year in Netanyahu’s office and is suspected of illegally obtaining and leaking classified documents to the news media.

Netanyahu informed Gallant in a letter dated Nov. 5 that he would end his term as defense minister within 48 hours of receiving the notice.

“More than ever, at the height of a war, complete trust is needed between the prime minister and the defense minister,” Netanyahu said in the video statement Tuesday. “In recent months, that trust between the defense minister and I was damaged.”

Gallant, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party and the defense minister since 2022, also clashed with the prime minister over legislation seeking the overhaul of the Israeli judiciary and proposals for the future administration of Gaza.)

Political dynamics

After more centrist politicians left Netanyahu’s government in June, Gallant, who was a senior general in the military, was seen as the main voice of moderation within the government’s decision-making circles.

In June, when relations between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden appeared to fray after the Israeli prime minister accused the United States of withholding weapons, it was Gallant who visited Washington to meet with Biden administration officials, affirming his commitment to a cease-fire deal and emphasizing Israel’s appreciation of U.S. support.

Natan Sachs, an expert on Israeli affairs at the Brookings Institution, said the Biden administration had grown to see Gallant as a critical interlocutor — despite the defense minister’s own hawkish views — as Netanyahu appeared to fall increasingly under the sway of his hard-line coalition allies.

Gallant often reflected Israel’s more pragmatic security establishment.

“He was a known quantity, a responsible person and someone who was basically trusted,” Sachs said. “It’s a loss for the relationship in the short term,” he added.