Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, announced yesterday the sudden dismissal of the Minister of Defense of his Government, Yoav Gallant, after he publicly called on Saturday for the interruption of the controversial judicial reform promoted by the Executive. The announcement was made by a spokesman for the Israeli Government, who limited himself to reading a statement and did not offer any further explanation. “The Prime Minister has decided today, Sunday March 26, to dismiss the Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant, from his position,” the official text pointed out concisely.
Gallant’s statements fell like a jug of cold water on the Executive and hinted at an internal debate that had not surfaced until now, despite the street protests and the statements against the reform by numerous personalities in the country. In fact, the ex-minister’s was the first public expression of a senior official in Netanyahu’s party against a measure that has triggered a strong protest movement.
“I say it out loud and publicly. For the sake of the State of Israel and our children, we must stop this legislative process”, said Gallant on Saturday during a televised intervention that was picked up by the Efe agency. “We need to stop the demonstrations and protests and seek dialogue. Anything that harms the strength of the Army and the security system must be stopped immediately,” he added, referring to the massive popular movement rejecting judicial reform and the growing number of Army reservists. who refuse to train and serve in protest of the measure.
These statements quickly received the support of two more parliamentarians from Likud, the party led by Netanyahu, and were rejected by other members of the Executive, including the Minister of National Security, the ultra-conservative Itamar Ben Gvir. In addition, last night the influential Consul General of Israel in New York, Asaf Zamir, announced his resignation. “I can no longer represent this Government,” he said on his Twitter account.
The controversial reform, which seeks to grant more power to the Executive to the detriment of justice, has generated a deep rift in Israeli society.
Despite criticism from countless sectors and warnings of the impact it may have, not only on the separation of powers, but also on Israel’s economy, the Government continues to move forward with some of the pillars of this reform, including a law that would give the Government de facto control over the judicial selection committee.
The Israeli Executive intends to approve this latest law this week, which has motivated the organizers of the demonstrations to intensify the protests. In fact, after Netanyahu’s decision yesterday to dismiss Gallant, the opposition groups called a demonstration in Tel-Aviv in which there were riots.
The minister’s forced departure was also rejected by former prime minister and current opposition leader Yair Lapid, who said the move “harms national security”. “Netanyahu can depose Gallant, but he cannot eliminate the reality of the street or the people of Israel, who are facing the follies of this coalition,” Lapid pointed out through his Twitter account.