Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant following his opposition to the judicial reform, it was announced on Sunday evening.
Gallant made a dramatic declaration on Saturday evening calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the judicial overhaul long enough to more deeply engage in negotiations with others to reach a compromise.
The prime minister told Gallant he lost his trust in the defense minister after he "went behind the government's back" on Saturday evening, while Netanyahu was visiting the United Kingdom. Netanyahu now has 48 hours to appoint a defense minister, as per Maariv.
In his first response since his dismissal, Gallant wrote that the "security of the State of Israel has always been and will always be my life's mission." Netanyahu simply responded, "everyone must stand up to insubordination."
ביטחון מדינת ישראל תמיד היה ותמיד יישאר משימת חיי
— יואב גלנט (@yoavgallant) March 26, 2023
Israel reacts to sacking of defense minister Gallant
In a tweet, opposition head Yair Lapid said that Gallant's firing, "just because he warned of a threat to Israel's security, is a new low for this anti-Zionist government. Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he can't fire reality and he can't fire the Israelis who are standing up against this coalition's insanity."
"The prime minister is a danger to Israel's security," Lapid alleged.
2/2 ראש ממשלת ישראל הוא סכנה לבטחון מדינת ישראל.
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) March 26, 2023
Netanyahu proved on Sunday that Israel's security is not his chief priority, former IDF chief of staff MK Gadi Eisenkot. "Gallant's dismissal is a disgrace to Netanyahu's legacy and a dangerous bet on all of our lives."
"We face a clear and immediate danger to Israel's security," former defense minister MK Benny Gantz wrote in reaction to Gallant's dismissal. "This evening, Netanyahu put politics and himself above security."
בפנינו סכנה ברורה, מיידית ומוחשית לביטחון ישראל. סכנה שהוחמרה. נתניהו שם הערב את הפוליטיקה ואת עצמו מעל הביטחון. מחזק את יואב גלנט ששם את ביטחון המדינה מעל לכל אינטרס.
— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) March 26, 2023
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reacted to the dismissal, saying: "The State of Israel is in the greatest danger since the Yom Kippur War. I call on the Prime Minister to withdraw Gallant's dismissal letter, suspend the reform and begin a pause in negotiations until after Independence Day. It doesn't matter who is right and who is wrong. I call on all the demonstrators and all the citizens of Israel - do everything without violence, without bloodshed. We are brothers."
The Otzma Yehudit party on the other hand stated their support of Gallant's dismissal. "We are supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin not to stop the legislation. The right has no mandate to give up the legal reform and surrender to violence. The majority of the people supported us to govern," the party's statement read.
The Movement for Quality of Government said it takes the dismissal of Gallant "extremely seriously," adding that Netanyahu is not "ethically or morally" qualified to fulfill his role as prime minister. "The movement will consider legal action to stop this scandalous dismissal."
This is a developing story.