From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Far-right minister urges Gallant’s removal over Gaza spat, suggests replacements
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu joins other far-right politicians in calling for the replacement of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant following a high-profile public spat with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday about Gaza’s future.
“If Gallant had respect for Israeli democracy, he would vacate his seat. [Likud’s Agriculture Minister Avi] Dichter or Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter can replace him. Gallant does not represent the will of the people,” Eliyahu tells Army Radio.
Dichter is a former chief of the Shin Bet security agency while Winter is a controversial senior IDF officer, popular among right-wing politicians, who is set to be demobilized after being left without a role for nearly two years.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — the latter of whom leads Eliyahu’s Otzma Yehudit party — called for Gallant’s ouster last night after he directly challenged the prime minister’s postwar thinking for the Gaza Strip in a televised address.
The Times of Israel Community.