Gallant and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have often clashed over the Gaza war, with Gallant advocating diplomatic efforts to free Israeli hostages, while Netanyahu insisted on maintaining military pressure on Hamas.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced his resignation from Parliament, also known as the Knesset, on Wednesday.
The announcement comes less than two months after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed him from office following months of disagreements over the course of the war in Gaza.
After his dismissal, Gallant retained his seat in parliament as an elected member of the Knesset.
“Good evening, Mr. President. I will soon convey to the Speaker of the Knesset my decision to terminate my duties as the 25th member of the Knesset after 45 years of service and missions for the State of Israel. 35 years in the Israeli army. A decade as a Knesset member and minister in the governments of Israel, including two spectacular years as defense minister.declared Yoav Gallant during a televised speech.
He added that he was removed from his post after emphasizing the need to end the controversial exemption from military service for ultra-Orthodox men.
Military service is compulsory for most Jews, but ultra-Orthodox men receive exemptions to pursue religious studies. These controversial exemptions have sparked widespread resentment among the Israeli population, as the ongoing war in Gaza has forced tens of thousands of men into months of military service.
Yoav Gallant said the government’s intention to maintain these exemptions was the main reason for his resignation.
“The Israeli government, led by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, has launched a recruitment campaign that goes against the needs of the Israeli military and the security of the State of Israel.”
Yoav Gallant and Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly clashed over the war in Gaza. The two men have clashed in the past when Gallant pushed for a diplomatic deal that would return Israeli hostages held by Hamas to Gaza, while Netanyahu called for continued military pressure on the group.
Netanyahu’s surprise dismissal of Gallant, which he explained through “significant gaps” and one “crisis of confidence”sparked protests across Israel. The Israeli prime minister replaced Gallant with longtime stalwart Israel Katz, who served as both defense minister and foreign minister.
Despite his resignation from the Knesset, Yoav Gallant said he would remain a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party.
“As a member of the Likud movement, I will continue to fight for the ideological and national Zionist path of the Likud movement.”
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity for their roles in the Gaza war.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed more than 45,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 7, 2023.
The war continues despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
ADVERTISEMENTIsrael is also the subject of a complaint for genocide before the highest court of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, because of the war it is waging in the enclave.
Additional sources •AP
