Netanyahu fires defense minister, sparking protests
Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu have clashed for years. The Israeli prime minister first tried to fire the defense minister in 2023, but backed off following a public outcry.


What happened
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Tuesday, sidelining a popular rival as Israel fights grinding wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Gallant's firing brought thousands of Israelis into the streets in protest. Netanyahu named Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a hawkish longtime loyalist with little military or national security experience, as Gallant's replacement.
Who said what
Netanyahu said there was a "crisis of trust" between him and Gallant and "significant gaps" on handling Israel's wars. The two had clashed for years, and Netanyahu tried to fire Gallant in 2023 before backtracking amid intense public outcry. Gallant said at a news conference last night that Netanyahu disagreed with him on three big issues: conscripting ultra-Orthodox young men into the military, forming an official commission to investigate the political and security failures of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and the urgent need to strike a deal to return Israeli hostages "as quickly as possible, when they are still alive."
What "may have sealed Gallant's fate was his announcement Monday that the army would send conscription notices to thousands of young ultra-Orthodox men," as ordered by the Supreme Court, The Washington Post said. Ultra-Orthodox parties, a key part of Netanyahu's hard-right coalition, had threatened to collapse his government if the draft notices went out."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This is "politics at the expense of national security," Benny Gantz, a former member of Netanyahu's war cabinet, said on X. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Gallant's dismissal "the last thing Israel needs." Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it "an act of madness."
What next?
Gallant was the "anchor" of the U.S.-Israeli relationship and the "only cabinet member apart from Netanyahu with serious decision-making authority over the war's conduct," The Wall Street Journal said. Katz is "unlikely to stand in the way" of Netanyahu's hardline Gaza and Lebanon military decisions, The New York Times said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Scottish hospitality shines at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Sleep well at these lovely inns across Scotland
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Scientists invent a solid carbon-negative building material
Under the radar Building CO2 into the buildings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump allies urge White House to admit chat blunder
Speed Read Even pro-Trump figures are criticizing The White House's handling of the Signal scandal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge: Nazis treated better than Trump deportees
speed read U.S. District Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his order barring President Donald Trump from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US officials share war plans with journalist in group chat
Speed Read Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal conversation about striking Yemen
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Mark Carney calls snap election
speed read Voters will go to the polls on April 28 to pick a new government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published