A nuclear bomb was dropped on Israel Tuesday night. Metaphorically speaking. By Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
All eyes were fixed on the U.S. election.
Israel waited for Iran to attack, again. And Netanyahu took the opportunity to fire his Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant.
The long-standing intense mutual loathing between Gallant and Netanyahu was no secret in Israel. But that is not why Gallant was fired.
In a cabinet of “yes men,” Gallant was, increasingly, the only one who dared to disagree with the prime minister.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday night, Netanyahu excoriated Gallant, implying that he may be behind a spate of leaks and other untoward conduct, all of which have been a source of “great delight” for Israel’s enemies. This suggestion compounds the prime minister’s attack on Gallant last summer for promoting an “anti-Israel narrative.” That slap-down was based on Gallant’s dismissal, behind closed doors, of Netanyahu’s preferred slogan of “total victory” as being “meaningless.” The comment was leaked.
But these are the real reasons that there were “cracks” in the relationship, as Netanyahu stated yesterday:
• Gallant advocated publicly for a State Commission of Inquiry into the October 7 disaster, knowing full well he would be implicated in any findings. Netanyahu disagreed. He has stated on multiple occasions that such an inquiry is unnecessary. Most Israelis concur with Gallant on this critical issue;
• In recent days, as the ultra-orthodox haredi members of Netanyahu’s coalition threatened to bring down the government if their men were drafted into the IDF, Netanyahu blinked. He fired Gallant, who was uncompromising in saying: “No. They must serve.” And so, to mitigate political fallout, Netanyahu chose to fire Gallant; and
• In his written statement issued on Tuesday night, Netanyahu’s tone was abrasive, personal and defensive. He asserted several times that he invites disagreement and discussion. “Everybody who knows me knows that.” Actually, he is renowned for shutting down dissent and eviscerating anyone within Likud who shows signs of developing a power base.
And now, Prime Minister Netanyahu is attacking the one man in this government who the public trusts regarding matters of security, Yoav Gallant. The prime minister smeared Gallant last night in a written statement, alleging that the defence minister had worked against the interests of the state to such a degree that “our enemies have taken great delight in these disagreements and have derived much benefit from them.”
That is an extreme charge, to which there are many layers: Gallant dared to disagree. He was trusted by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other key American officials. They preferred dealing with him rather than either Bibi or his right-hand man, Ron Dermer. As well, IDF leadership trusts Gallant. He is one of theirs. A lifelong military man. Gallant is Mr. Security, rivalling Netanyahu on turf in which he has always seen himself as being supreme.
And then there is the timing of this drama.
The noose was tightening on Bibi. Two fresh scandals broke in the past week. One involves a series of leaks of top-secret IDF briefs that were, it seems, obtained by a “communications adviser” to Netanyahu, Eli Feldstein. For the past week Feldstein has been in Shin Bet custody along with several others whose identities remain secret. This case seems to be about an effort by individuals close to the prime minister (but without proper security clearance) to illegally access top-secret information who then leaked it to the media. (At least, that is the tenor of censored news reports. It is alleged that both the German newspaper Bild and the U.K. paper The Jewish Chronicle published articles based on information passed to them. The information tended to reinforce messages that the PMO was keen to advocate publicly.
This delicate investigation is being led by the Shin Bet. Following intense speculation last night that the head of this security force, Ronen Bar, was soon to be fired as well, the PMO added this extraordinary postscript to the prime minister’s earlier statement: “… reports to the effect that the Prime Minister intends to dismiss senior officials in the security services are incorrect and are designed to sow discord and rifts. This is also the case with the mendacious reports that the ultra-orthodox ministers were in on the matter.”
Then there’s the matter of document protocols. For months, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has expressed grave concerns that important processes regarding the distribution and reproduction of top-secret documents have not been followed. Experts warn that this matter is perhaps even more serious than the alleged leaks. The “protocol story” was slated to lead the Israeli nightly news on Wednesday, until Netanyahu’s firing of Gallant diverted attention.
To say that Israelis are in shock would be an extreme understatement. What Netanyahu has done is being called madness, wicked, retributive, destructive. Whatever descriptor one chooses, it was stunningly ill-timed and is landing with a thud.
Since the outbreak of war, those who support Netanyahu have explained his hold on power and refusal to accept responsibility, resign or hold any form of credible inquiry into October 7 because … Because we are at war, silly. You don’t change horses mid-stream.
I never agreed with that platitude. And now, as a multi-front war is peaking, as Israel’s human and other resources are strained to the max, as the ultra-orthodox threaten to bring down the coalition if Netanyahu does not bend to their will — now, apparently, is the opportune time to fire the minister of defence, the most important minister and government official.
At approximately 11 pm on Tuesday, three hours after his dismissal and as the streets of Tel Aviv and towns around Israel were filled with enraged demonstrators, Yoav Gallant held a brief press conference. Known for his expressionless demeanour and gruff voice, Gallant stated that he had devoted his entire 50-year career to the defence establishment and security of Israel. He referred to the recent string of successful military and intelligence operations (for which, it should be noted, Netanyahu was quick to take credit).
“The security of Israel was and remains my life’s mission and I am committed to that,” Gallant said. Invoking his decades of intense training and experience, he added: “In our situation, when the fog of war is thick and moral darkness surrounds us, I cling to the compass.”
Abandoning the hostages, he warned, chillingly, “will be a mark of Cain on the forehead of Israeli society and those leading this mistaken path.”
Gallant closed his remarks by saluting the fallen soldiers, the injured, the hostages and their families.
“I trust you and I salute you.”
That iconic moment and visual will define this war.
National Post
Vivian Bercovici is a former Canadian ambassador to Israel and the founder of the State of Tel Aviv.