Israel’s sacked Defence Minister Yoav Gallant submits his resignation to Parliament Knesset

Tel Aviv: Yoav Gallant, Israel’s fired defense minister, said that he has sent the Knesset, the nation’s parliament, his letter of resignation. He said that “45 years of mission and service” to the nation led to this conclusion.

Gallant’s post on X was roughly translated as follows: “I just sent the Speaker of the Knesset my letter of resignation. After 45 years of service and commitment to the State of Israel, I am taking this action. Similar to the battlefield, there are times in public service when you must pause, evaluate the circumstances, and decide how best to proceed in order to meet the necessary objectives. This is a stop along a longer, unfinished trip.

“My path is the Likud path,” he said. I trust the movement’s voters and members, and I believe in its tenets. I will stick with and defend the Likud movement’s national, ideological, and Zionist course as a member.

Gallant went on to voice his worries about recent changes in the Israeli government, saying that in the two months since he was fired as defense minister, the government has been advancing a conscription law that he feels goes against the IDF’s requirements and Israel’s security. “I cannot accept such a policy,” he said in his criticism of the law.

“The Israeli government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, is speeding up a conscription law that is inimical to the IDF’s requirements and the security of the State of Israel. This has happened in the two months since I was removed from my position as Minister of Defense. The goal of the measure is to exclude the majority of young people in the ultra-Orthodox community from military duty. Gallant said, “I cannot accept that and I cannot participate in it.”

Gallant was sacked by Netanyahu in November, alleging a loss of confidence. Israel Katz, Israel’s Foreign Minister, took Gallant’s post. Gallant was a longstanding Liberal Party adversary.