'Take to the streets': Opposition calls for protests across Israel after Gallant's firing

"The security of the State of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant posted on X/Twitter on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired him.

This response is word-for-word what Gallant said when he was previously fired in March 2023.

Incoming Defense Minister and current Foreign Minister Israel Katz later thanked Netanyahu for "the trust he has placed" in him by appointing him as defense minister.

"I accept this responsibility with a sense of mission and profound dedication to the security of the State of Israel and its citizens," Katz said.

"We will work together to lead the defense establishment to victory over our enemies and achieve the objectives of the war: the return of all hostages as the most important moral mission, the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, curbing Iranian aggression, and the safe return of northern and southern residents to their homes," he concluded.

Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett sent a message to the Israeli public Tuesday evening, a couple of hours after Netanyahu announced his decision. "To a nation of lions, we have a sick and deranged leadership. I appeal to our soldiers on all fronts: do not lose focus against the enemy. You protect us, and we, the public, will make sure to protect you."

"Don't lose hope: change is coming!" he said.

President Isaac Herzog responded to the development, writing in a post to X/Twitter, "The last thing the State of Israel needs right now is an upheaval and a rupture in the middle of the war. The security of the State of Israel must be above all considerations."

"101 hostages are still in enemy captivity this evening. Thousands of bereaved mourn their shattered world. Many reservists bear the burden of protecting the people and the homeland and cry out together with their families for a broad Israeli partnership. Thousands of our brothers are evacuated from their homes for over a year."

"We are in one of the most difficult and challenging times we have ever known. We must not go backward towards the abyss!"

הדבר האחרון שמדינת ישראל צריכה עכשיו זה טלטלה וקרע באמצע המלחמה. ביטחון מדינת ישראל חייב להיות מעל לכל שיקול.101 חטופים נמצאים גם הערב בשבי האויב. אלפי בנות ובני משפחות שכולות אבלים על עולמם שחרב. מילואימניקים רבים נושאים בנטל ההגנה על העם והמולדת וזועקים יחד עם משפחותיהם…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) November 5, 2024

"Israel's enemies are only waiting for a sign of weakness, disintegration, or division within us."

"The war is still ongoing, and the goals have not yet been fully achieved. Our sons and daughters are fighting shoulder to shoulder at the front, and the role of the leadership is to act with great responsibility at this time," Herzog wrote. 

National Unity head Benny Gantz responded to the development, saying, "Politics at the expense of national security."

פוליטיקה על חשבון ביטחון המדינה.

— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) November 5, 2024

National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot said:

"An unprecedented loss of composure."

"The dismissal of the defense minister amid Israel's longest and most challenging war, motivated by narrow political interests and an effort to push through an evasion law, represents an unprecedented act of irresponsibility. This is part of an ongoing campaign originating from the Prime Minister’s Office to weaken and undermine state institutions. The firing of Defense Minister Gallant at such a critical moment compromises national interests, erodes public trust in the state, and jeopardizes Israel’s ability to succeed in the war and accomplish its objectives."

"Given these serious circumstances, in which the Prime Minister's political moves pose a threat to both the war effort and national security, potentially endangering the lives of IDF soldiers and civilians, I, along with members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, have called for an urgent committee session. We have requested the presence of the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister for a thorough discussion," Eisenkot concluded.

"The dismissal of Gallant in the middle of a war is an act of madness," Opposition leader and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid said in a statement on X. 

"Netanyahu is sacrificing Israel's security and IDF soldiers for despicable political survival. The full-right government prefers draft dodgers over those who serve," he continued.

"I call on Yesh Atid members and all Zionist patriots to take to the streets tonight in protest," he added.

Head of The Democrats party, Yair Golan, called for protests, saying, "Take to the streets."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the move, saying, "I congratulate the Prime Minister on the decision to fire Gallant. With Gallant, who is still deeply trapped in the conceptzia, it is not possible to achieve absolute victory - and the prime minister did well to remove him from his position."

Chairman of Yisrael Beyteynu, MK Avigdor Lieberman, said:

“A Banana Republic.”

“Instead of focusing on national security and putting the welfare of citizens and soldiers first, the Prime Minister chose to dismiss the Defense Minister and start a new round of appointments in the midst of combat—all to meet disgraceful political needs,” Lieberman said.

“If a Defense Minister can be replaced during active fighting, then a Prime Minister who has failed in his role and neglected the country's security can certainly be replaced—and a state commission of inquiry must be established.”

Hostage family forum, Israeli orgs responds

After the announcement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum also released a statement, saying:

The Families’ Headquarters for Hostage Return expresses deep concern over the dismissal of Defense Minister Gallant, calling it “a direct continuation of efforts to sabotage a hostage deal.” The families urge the incoming Defense Minister to "explicitly commit to ending the war and to a comprehensive agreement for the immediate return of all hostages."

They describe Gallant’s dismissal as “a sad reflection of the flawed priorities of the Israeli government,” stating that Israel has already achieved its primary military goals in Gaza: dismantling Hamas leadership, destroying its military infrastructure, blocking the Philadelphi Route, and neutralizing the majority of militants. The time, they argue, has come for Israel “to lead a comprehensive agreement for the release of all hostages and an end to the war.”

The Headquarters praises Gallant as "the first to recognize that strategic objectives had been achieved," stressing the "urgent need to turn military gains into a real victory” by securing the return of hostages and concluding the war in Gaza.

They express regret that “instead of translating these gains into decisive action for the release of all hostages, the government has once again harmed the prospects of a deal." The families demand that the incoming Defense Minister "publicly, clearly, and resolutely commit to the immediate release of all hostages, honoring the fallen, and transforming the military victory in Gaza into a true victory aligned with the war’s objectives."

“There will be no victory and no revival for the State of Israel,” the statement concludes, “without the return of all hostages and the end of the war.”

They also decry any “political, partisan, and personal interests” standing in the way of what they see as the true national priority: "the immediate return of all hostages."

Mothers on The Frontline Movement called on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to declare Netanyahu incapacitated due "to his reckless decision to dismiss the defense minister amid war for political reasons," the statement read.

Attorney Ayelet HaShachar Seidof stated this evening, "While our sons and daughters fight and sacrifice their lives daily, now for 396 days, the prime minister of Israel is endangering state security by dismissing the defense minister amid war, with the clear motivation of advancing draft-dodging laws and attempting to navigate two unprecedented security issues within the Prime Minister's Office."

"The Attorney General has no choice but to declare the prime minister incapacitated immediately," the statement concluded.

My highest duty as prime minister of Israel is to safeguard Israel’s security and lead us to a decisive victory, " Netanyahu's statement read.

"During wartime, more than ever, a complete trust between the prime minister and the defense minister is essential. Unfortunately, while we initially had this trust and accomplished much in the early months of the campaign, over recent months, that trust between me and the defense minister has eroded," Netanyahu added.

Israel's Business Forum reacts

Israel's Business Forum, which represents over 200 business owners, including Harel Wiesel, Liora Ofer, Dana Azrieli, and other businesses, issued a joint statement regarding the dismissal of Gallant. 

They wrote, "Firing a defense minister and appointing a minister without any security experience in the middle of a war is clearly not reasonable. This is a dangerous move that seriously harms Israel during a long war. This is a huge blow to the serving public and a reward to the enemies of the state."

"A prime minister who prefers political survival and personal interests over the security of the state does not deserve to remain in his position," the statement wrote. 

"At these moments, the members of the form gather to decide on the continuation of protest actions."