Israel in turmoil amid internal divisions

On the evening of November 5, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the appointment of Foreign Minister Israel Katz as his replacement, according to AFP. The reason given by Netanyahu was that Mr. Gallant had caused distrust and strategic disagreements, mainly related to the conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The thorn is removed

The conflict between Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant has been going on since at least the middle of last year, when the minister opposed the government leader’s plans for judicial reform. That action prompted Mr. Netanyahu to consider removing Mr. Gallant but ultimately shelved the plan when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the reforms.

Israelis protest in Tel Aviv after Gallant's dismissal

This time, tensions have been building for months over the strategy of the Gaza conflict. Although he was considered a hawk at the beginning of the conflict, Gallant has increasingly appeared willing to find a diplomatic solution to end the fighting, dismissing the possibility of an Israeli military occupation of Gaza in the future.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who form a core part of his coalition government, want to step up the military. Netanyahu allies say Gallant's views weaken the government's resolve to fight Hamas. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a hard-line politician, was among the first to welcome Gallant's dismissal, according to Reuters.

Mr Gallant criticised Mr Netanyahu’s goal of an absolute victory as meaningless, risking prolonging the conflict and failing to save the hostages. Speaking on television after his dismissal, Mr Gallant said Israel was fighting in ambiguity and “moral darkness”. The public exposure of those differences angered Mr Netanyahu, who vowed to remove the long-time thorn in his side, saying Mr Gallant’s actions encouraged Israel’s opponents.

The parties also clashed over a proposal to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from military service, a plan that Gallant opposed. Gayil Talshir, an Israeli political expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told Reuters that Gallant’s order to call up 7,000 ultra-Orthodox men for military service was the last straw.

Mr. Gallant salutes at a press conference after being dismissed.

Risks for Gaza conflict

According to observers, Israel's security policy is changing and Mr. Gallant's departure could lead to stronger military action in Gaza, narrowing the door to diplomacy.

Gallant's ouster is expected to push the ruling coalition toward a more aggressive and unified military approach, as hardliners gain increasing influence in the government, according to The Jerusalem Post . New Defense Minister Israel Katz is a close ally of Netanyahu and has taken a hard line on the conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah. In his announcement after his appointment, Katz vowed to lead the military to victory over its enemies and achieve its wartime goals, such as rescuing hostages, eliminating Hamas, defeating Hezbollah, and containing Iran.

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Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz called the decision to remove him an act of putting political interests above national security. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the decision to replace the defense minister in the middle of the war "an act of madness," calling on the people to protest. Thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv late on November 5 to protest Gallant's dismissal, calling on the new minister to prioritize a deal to bring the hostages home.

Hamas comments on Mr. Trump

Yesterday, after Donald Trump declared his re-election as US President, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said that Trump's victory would test his previous statement about ending the Gaza conflict in a matter of hours. According to Reuters, Zuhri said that the Democratic Party's defeat was the natural price for the party's leaders' stance on Gaza, calling on Trump to "learn from the mistakes" of President Joe Biden.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/israel-roi-ren-giua-chia-re-noi-bo-185241106195750542.htm