At cabinet meeting, PM and ministers criticize Gallant over plan to increase service time for conscripts

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government harshly criticize Defense Minister Yoav Gallant while discussing a proposal to lengthen the terms of those performing mandatory military service, during today’s cabinet meeting.

In an effort to grapple with manpower deficiencies, Gallant and the Israel Defense Forces are pushing to extend mandatory service for men to three years, several years after it was reduced to 32 months.

According to leaked quotes published by national broadcaster Kan, Karhi questions why Gallant is ready to extend soldiers’ service by several months without bringing the opposition on board, but won’t support legislation dealing with ultra-Orthodox conscription without a broad consensus that includes former war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, who is now in the opposition.

After all, Karhi argues, failing to pass an ultra-Orthodox enlistment bill “will lead to the overthrow of the government, which will harm the security of the country and give a victory to [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar.” He calls the idea of seeking broad agreement on the matter “a code for giving Gantz an opening to overthrow the government.”

According to Kan, Netanyahu agrees, stating that “the need to give Benny Gantz a veto is [an act of] politics. They [Gantz’s National Unity party] don’t want the recruitment of the ultra-Orthodox, they want a crisis.”

Environment Minister Idit Silman also weighs in, telling the meeting that “in the previous government I was in, no one sought a broad consensus. Not even Defense Minister Gantz.”

Relations between Gallant and Netanyahu have been tense ever since Netanyahu announced he was firing Gallant in March 2023 over his criticism of the government’s judicial overhaul — before reversing course two weeks later under intense public pressure.

Members of the current government have called on Netanyahu several times to fire the defense minister.