Yoav Gallant says he’s decided not to run for office in next election

11 March 2026, 10:25 pm

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Former defense minister Yoav Gallant speaks with Yonit Levi and Amit Segal of Channel 12 news in an interview broadcast on February 6, 2025. (Channel 12 screen capture)

Former defense minister Yoav Gallant has said he will not run for office in the next election.

Gallant was defense minister on Oct. 7, 2023, and led the first year of Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon. He was removed from his post by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late 2024 as their relationship grew increasingly acrimonious.

He told Channel 12 earlier: “I’ve decided not to run in the upcoming elections. I’m taking a break. As for the future — we’ll talk about that later. If an opportunity arises to have an impact, I’ll step up and answer the call.

Gallant did not say why he won’t run. He argued that he has “good chances in Likud” but said that “right now it isn’t right for me.”