By reshuffling Israel’s security leadership, Prime Minister Netanyahu is risking at least a temporary setback on several war fronts as he aims to consolidate his political flanks.  

The defense minister, Yoav Gallant, was summoned to the premier’s Tel Aviv office Tuesday night, where Mr. Netanyahu personally handed him a dismissal letter. As was widely reported on Israeli television, the defense minister was at the time huddled in his own office with the Israel Defense Force top brass, discussing possible responses if the Islamic Republic’s threats of a “painful” attack materialize. 

Mr. Gallant is widely trusted in Washington and has long served as a top liaison between President Biden and Mr. Netanyahu, whose relations are icy. White House officials are “stunned” by Mr. Netnayahu’s announcement, Israel Kan News reported Tuesday. 

The timing of the announcement of the long-expected firing may indicate Mr. Netanyahu counted on the American presidential election to soften Washington’s reaction. A top aide to Mr. Netanayhu, Ron Dermer, is now expected to be charged with maintaining the frayed relation between Washington and Jerusalem, at least until the January 20 inauguration of the next president.  

Following the firing, Mr. Netanayhu’s office released a videotaped speech that was broadcast across the country. He announced that Mr. Gallant would be replaced with a close ally, Israel Katz, the foreign minister. Soon afterward, opposition leaders called on supporters to take to the streets.

Protests erupted across the country in March 2023 after a similar firing by Mr. Netanayhu. The premier eventually rescinded that move, and rehired Mr. Gallant. A repeat of that scenario is seen as unlikely, even as street clashes between protesters and Mr. Netanayhu’s supporters are intensifying. Mr. Natnayhu says his disagreements with the defense minister are too deep to keep Mr. Gallant in his role.

The timing is fraught, as Israel’s security challenges are reaching a critical point. As the IDF is completing operations in Gaza and advancing in Lebanon, Jerusalem needs to start planning post-war arrangements. The Islamic Republic of Iran is meanwhile threatening a major attack, and if it acts on the threats Mr. Netanayahu’s cabinet will need to make crucial decisions on retaliatory action. 

Mr. Gallant’s tenure on the 14th floor of the defense ministry at Tel Aviv’s Hakirya compound will end within 24 hours, Mr. Netanyahu said in his speech. The security chief will then be replaced by Mr. Katz. Another veteran politician who recently joined Mr. Netanayhu’s ruling coalition, Gideon Saar, will become foreign minister.        

“While in the first months of the war there was trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defense minister,” Mr. Netanyahu said in his speech. “I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider.”

The disagreements between the two Likud members, Mr. Netnyahu said, “came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy. Our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.”

Addressing reporters two hours later, Mr. Gallant detailed disagreements over the need to draft Orthodox men to the IDF; the need to make a deal that might include “painful concessions” in order to release hostages in Gaza; and the need to name a national body to investigate government failures that led to the October 7, 2023, massacre. 

Mr. Gallant said he “learned one thing” during his service as an IDF soldier and commander: “When it’s dark outside, we must navigate by using a compass.” That statement was widely interpreted as a criticism of Mr. Netanayhu on lacking moral principles.   

Shortly after the October 7 Hamas massacre that launched the war, Mr. Gallant reportedly devised a plan to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon prior to going into Gaza. He then relented, and after fighting Hamas for 11 months, the attack on Hezbollah became one of Israel’s top war successes. 

Mr. Gallant was widely reported to support a Gaza deal to release hostages in return for concessions to Hamas. His firing comes as a top aide in the prime minister’s office, Eli Feldstein, is in police custody under suspicion of leaking top-secret information to a German newspaper, Bild, and to Britain’s Jewish Chronicle, and compromising intelligence sources.

The investigation, conducted jointly by police, the internal security agency, Shabak, and army intelligence, has widened in recent days to include IDF officials. Mr. Netanyahu’s critics claim that the disagreements between the premier and Mr. Gallant widened as more details from the investigation leaked to the Israeli press.  

The cabinet reshuffling occurs as several Knesset legislators are moving to help Mr. Netanayahu’s political allies in the Orthodox parties, who object to military drafting of their young minions. In defiance of the coalition, Mr. Gallant issued 4000 draft orders to orthodox men on Monday, arguing that the IDF is extremely short-handed during the war.         

While Mr. Katz does not have the defense minister’s extensive military background — as a major general Mr. Gallant served as IDF southern command chief — he is a veteran politician with little background in security affairs. Mr. Netanyahu cited Mr. Katz’s experience as a politician, including as minister of intelligence.