Netanyahu weighs replacing Security Minister Gallant with Gideon Sa'ar

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Jul 2024 22:52
1 Shares

Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu is planning to hold consultations on this matter during the Knesset's summer recess, which lasts for three months.

Listen

Israeli Minister of Justice Gideon Saar arrives for the first weekly cabinet meeting of the new government in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 20, 2021. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering dismissing Security Minister Yoav Gallant from his position and replacing him with the head of the New Hope party, Gideon Sa'ar, according to Israeli media reports.

Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu is planning to hold consultations on this matter during the Knesset's summer recess, which lasts for three months.

This comes against the backdrop of a recent statement issued by Gallant, in which he claimed to have provided directives to the Israeli military on how to respond to the incident in Majdal Shams without informing Netanyahu.

This led to calls for Gallant's dismissal by other ministers among the Israeli leadership, who accused him of acting "outside the scope of his authority."

Gideon Sa'ar announced his resignation from the government on March 25, after Netanyahu rejected his request to join the "war cabinet."

Explaining his resignation, Sa'ar said, "I cannot bear responsibility as long as I have no…practical ability to influence the direction of policy. I just don’t see any use in it anymore. We did not come to the government to warm chairs."

At the time of his resignation, Sa'ar expressed his willingness to make "concessions" to form a right-wing bloc opposing Netanyahu, criticizing the regime's handling of the war on Gaza.

It is worth recalling that Gallant has aligned with the military in its disagreements with the war cabinet regarding the prisoner exchange deal, the ceasefire in Gaza, and the overall strategy adopted by the prime minister.