Netanyahu Secures Ultra Coalition by Dismissing Gallant

Israel Katz met with the head of the Army, Herzi Halevi, on Wednesday in his first move as Israel's new Defense Minister. While the world watched the US elections, Benjamin Netanyahu had one eye on the victory of his «true friend» Donald Trump and another on the dismissal of Yoav Gallant, who until Tuesday was responsible for the portfolio with whom he commanded the multiple fronts opened since October 7, 2024. 'Bibi' sacrificed the minister to avoid jeopardizing the stability of his government coalition with ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist Zionists.

Netanyahu cited a «crisis of confidence» to end Gallant, who appeared before the media and insisted in his farewell that «the security of Israel has been the mission» of his life. The former cabinet member said the dismissal was due to his firmness in demanding that ultra-Orthodox men be called up, his defense of the Gaza agreement to bring back the hostages, and his insistence on the need to launch a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 Hamas attack.

Netanyahu does not want problems with his ultra-Orthodox allies, key to maintaining the government and parliamentary majority. He is not willing to stop the war to free the captives, something the ultra-nationalist ministers insist on, and he is also not interested in an investigation addressing the most serious attack in the history of the Jewish state. The Likud leader sacrifices Gallant to secure his position and now feels strengthened by Trump's victory, whose Middle East agenda will dictate the Israeli ally, as it did during his first term.

Netanyahu's decision sparked a strong wave of protests in different cities across the country, but these mobilizations have shown for months that, no matter how massive they are, they do not change the Prime Minister's mind. Regarding the hostages held by Hamas, Gallant reminded Netanyahu that «those who die among the hostages can never be returned. There is and will never be atonement for their abandonment (...) It will become a mark of Cain on the forehead of Hebrew society and those leading this wrong path.»

Thousands of people took to the streets again following the call of the Families Forum. This organization, which gathers the relatives of the hostages, issued a statement expressing its «deep concern» over Gallant's departure, «and how this sudden change could affect the fate of 101 hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.» The families asked Katz to «prioritize an agreement (...) to ensure the immediate release of all.»

The change at the head of Defense occurred on a new day of rocket attacks from Lebanon. Forty days have passed since the assassination of Hasan Nasrallah in Beirut, and Hezbollah marked this sacred date for Muslims with an attack that reached the vicinity of Tel Aviv's international airport. This prompted some Israeli media to demand that the military strike at Beirut's airport, which remains miraculously operational despite daily bombings in the southern capital. The only company operating is MEA, the national Lebanese airline, and on multiple occasions, planes take off and land amid the huge plumes of smoke rising from the attacked areas.

More than 3,000 people have died in Lebanon since Hezbollah began daily harassment against northern Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks, the vast majority in recent weeks, following the start of the ground invasion. In the last twenty-four hours, Israeli attacks have killed at least thirty people in Baalbek, in the east of the country, near the Syrian border.

In Lebanon and on the other fronts Israel has open, there is fear of a strong escalation from now until January 20, the date when Trump will take office and must act to fulfill his electoral promise to end the open wars.