Sa'ar vs Gallant debate continues as Hezbollah sustains North pressure

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
17 Sep 2024 09:03

Netanyahu considers Sa'ar to be "more assertive" than Gallant in deciding to attack Lebanon despite the former lacking the required military and security qualifications to manage a war.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant near the Salem military post in the occupied West Bank on July 4, 2023. (AFP)

The internal Israeli dispute over the withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corrdior, the prisoner exchange deal, and the expansion of the war in the North has intensified the political crisis within the war cabinet, raising concerns about the possible dismissal of Security Minister Yoav Gallant by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli media reported that a senior official in the ruling coalition stated that negotiations to replace Gallant with Knesset member Gideon Sa'ar are underway, saying, "When Netanyahu decides to dismiss Gallant, it will happen."

For his part, Sa'ar's office denied any "negotiations regarding the content of the draft law between Sa'ar or anyone from the Haredi parties or any other party," adding that "on a substantive level – [his] position has always been that any legislation must be based on the needs of the Israeli army and coordinated with the security establishment."

Similarly, Netanyahu’s office denied reports of an agreement to include Knesset member Sa'ar in the government, stating, "The reports regarding negotiations with [Sa'ar] are incorrect," while a Shas Party official told Israel 24 news channel that "we are not aware of any serious discussion about matters that concern us."

Expanding the war on the northern front

Israeli media confirmed that the main issue now is an attack in Lebanon "that could lead to a war against Hezbollah, which is what Sa'ar is currently focused on."

They pointed out that Gallant says in discussions that expanding the current fighting to the northern front before exhausting efforts in Gaza, would be a mistake, and that an agreement in Gaza should be reached.

At the same time, the security minister says that soon there will be no choice but to address the situation with Lebanon militarily," while media close to Netanyahu reported that "Gallant and Netanyahu agree in most cases, but things are expressed differently."

Holding back the attack on Lebanon

Israeli media reported that Sa'ar is interested in joining the government, with some members of Netanyahu's inner circle suggesting "it would be wise" to replace Gallant with Sa'ar, as he is viewed as "more assertive" and closely aligned with Netanyahu’s current political agenda.

However, other media outlets pointed out that Gallant "was the first to call for a strong attack in the North, which Netanyahu backed down from – and now the prime minister is shifting the narrative about who is more assertive and who is less."

Israeli ministers Miki Zohar and Shlomo Karhi also addressed the potential dismissal of the security minister.

Zohar said during an interview that "no decision has yet been made on the matter," but he "hopes they find a way to bring in Sa'ar without making extreme changes," while clarifying that "Netanyahu appoints ministers and can dismiss them."

Meanwhile, Karhi, who is a Likud Knesset member, harshly criticized Gallant in a separate interview, stating, "We need a [Security] Minister here, and we don’t have one... Gallant should have gone home a long time ago."

"[Gallant] is holding back and not allowing the attack... [he] is stifling the fighting spirit in Israel," Karhi added.

'Deadly gamble' and Sarah Netanyahu

Israeli Channel 13 pointed out that Sa'ar's appointment is being considered amid a multi-front war, despite him not previously holding significant positions in the security and military establishment.

Military affairs commentator Alon Ben David said that "replacing [Gallant] in the middle of a war is very concerning, especially from the perspective of the Israeli military leadership, as we are not in normal times... With all due respect to Minister Sa'ar in the cabinet, he is not familiar with the security and military establishment."

"In the middle of a war, appointing a [Security] Minister who doesn’t know the difference between a battalion and a brigade, or between a tank and an armored vehicle, how can he make decisions? ... If they wake him up at four in the morning and tell him ... there are 200 Iranian missiles on their way toward us, should we use this defense system or that one, and he responds, explain to me what each system does ... We don’t have time [to educate him]; we cannot afford to have a [Security] Minister learning on the job," Ben David said.

He continued, "I’ve seen civilian [Security] Ministers who were very competent but lacked military experience, and it took them about a year to understand the vast, complex system they [joined] ... This is about people's lives, and appointing someone without security experience in the middle of a war is a deadly gamble, with a cost paid in blood – the blood of our sons, and that will be the price."

A commentator on Channel 13 also noted that the delay in dismissing Gallant is due to "fears of a reaction from the United States, which could lead to criticism, especially when Israel needs US support, particularly if a war breaks out in the North, and of course, in connection with the arrest warrants on the agenda at The Hague."

"Netanyahu said in a closed-door meeting that he fears this could signal weakness to our enemies, especially if massive protests break out, and we’ve heard before that this implies weakness and division," suggesting that "ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s wife, Sarah, is reluctant and does not support appointing Sa'ar."