Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu fires Defense Minister Gallant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, saying there is a “crisis of trust” between them.

Netanyahu said in a statement that his trust in Gallant had “waned” in recent months.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz will replace Gallant, Netanyahu added.

Gallant posted on social media that “the security of the State of Israel has been and always will be the mission of my life.”

In a statement, Netanyahu said: “In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is needed between the prime minister and the defense minister.”

“Although there was so much trust in the first few months of the election campaign and very fruitful work was done, unfortunately that trust between me and the Defense Minister broke down in the last few months.”

Netanyahu said that “significant gaps were discovered between me and Gallant in the management of the campaign.”

“These gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted the decisions of the government and the decisions of the Cabinet,” he added.

Netanyahu said he made “many attempts to close these gaps, but they kept getting bigger,” adding that “our enemies enjoyed it and benefited greatly from it.”

Gallant posted only a brief message on

Katz will succeed Gallant as defense minister, while Gideon Sa’ar will become the new foreign minister, Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu and Gallant had a broken relationship at times.

Netanyahu Gallant was first fired in March of last year after their disagreement over controversial plans to reform the justice system.

However, after massive public protests in several cities in Israel, he had to withdraw his dismissal.

In May this year Gallant openly expressed frustration with the government’s failure to address the issue of a post-war plan for Gaza. Gallant wanted Netanyahu to publicly declare that Israel had no plans to take over civilian and military rule in Gaza.

It was a rare public sign of disunity within Israel’s war cabinet over the direction of the military operation.

“I have raised this issue with Cabinet repeatedly since October,” Gallant said, “and have received no response.”

Netanyahu responded by saying he was “unwilling to trade Hamastan for Fatahstan,” referring to rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah.