Netanyahu postpones decision to sack Gallant over security concerns
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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is suspending yet another decision, postponing the decision he had taken to sack Security Minister Yoav Gallant.
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Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant speaks during a joint statement with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin following their meeting at Ben Gurion International Airport, March 9, 2023, Al-Lydd, occupied Palestine (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed Monday the decision to dismiss Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant over the security situation in occupied Palestine, Israeli media reported.
This comes after one of Netanyahu's aides said the premier would "visit two military bases with Gallant today evening" in a clear indication of a possible reconciliation between the two officials.
Netanyahu's office announced in a brief statement in late March that the Prime Minister decided to sack Gallant.
Gallant demanded had a televised speech an immediate halt to the "judicial overhaul" legislation in order to hold talks with its opponents, warning of its serious repercussions on the Israeli military and security establishments.
"There have been efforts in recent days to end the dispute between Netanyahu and Galant, led by the head of the Shas party, Aryeh Deri," sources familiar with the matter said.
Knesset member Benny Gantz had underlined that "Israel" was before a tough security dilemma, as it is "facing a range of threats and challenges that can not be managed with a suspended security minister."
Moreover, Israeli media reported that Gantz called on Netanyahu to immediately reinstate Gallant.
Talks about the Israeli premier making another U-turn come he agreed to postpone the judicial overhaul bid that his cabinet was pushing for months, deciding last Monday to suspend his cabinet's plans to reform the judiciary, though he stressed that "we will never give it up."
Gallant's suspension was a very contentious issue for the United States, dubbed "the straw that broke the camel's back" by Israeli media.
Israeli Channel 12 political affairs commentator Yaron Avraham said a senior US source described Gallant's dismissal as "the straw that broke the camel's back."
Avraham explained that it showed that Netanyahu was not in control, saying it was the reason that the US ambassador to "Israel" conveyed a message from the US administration that President Biden expected Netanyahu to stop the legislation dead in its tracks.
He said that Gallant's dismissal and the establishment of a "National Guard" was a purely internal topic that succeeded to get the Americans involved in internal Israeli deliberations.
