Tension escalates between Netanyahu, Gallant, says Israeli media

JERUSALEM

Israeli media revealed Friday that tension escalated between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Under the headline: “This is how the battle between Netanyahu and Gallant looks,” Israeli Channel 12 said, “for weeks, the prime minister and the defense minister tried to hide the tension between them, but now it is futile.”

“The other unnecessary front in the war is the one between the prime minister and the defense minister, and like all active fronts now, it is also simmering beneath the surface for a long time,” it said.

The channel said, “It can be said that between Netanyahu and Gallant, there is a mutual sense of disappointment for a long time. Netanyahu appointed Gallant to the most important position in his government, the minister of defense, after seeing in him a loyal soldier, not for the army, of course, but for the prime minister himself. Yes, a man easily manipulated.”

It pointed out that “from the first moment, Gallant had to deal with ridiculous dictates.”

“Gallant also found himself in constant conflict with (leader of the far-right Jewish Power party and Minister of National Security Itamar) Ben Gvir, for example, on the issue of the National Guard,” it said.

“When Netanyahu announced at the end of last March that he had decided to dismiss Gallant from his position, no one in the political system was surprised, and it was clear as daylight that the dismissal of the Defense Minister was only a matter of time, but the protest that erupted that night had its impact, as Gallant remained in his position.”

Channel 12 noted the significant events -- the attack by Hamas -- on settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, “did not mend the relations between Netanyahu and Gallant.”

It said: “Whoever expected the greatest disaster in the country's history to restore their relations to their previous state was deceived; the situation worsened.”

It added that “the lack of trust between the two is expressed in the fact that each of them suspects the other of manipulations and leaks. In Netanyahu's circle, Gallant is accused of continuous leaks even from the most sensitive discussions.”

“Netanyahu, for his part, issued instructions to the heads of the security institution not to meet with Gallant without his presence.”

Channel 12 said, “On the other hand, Gallant's program for the next day, for example, was first presented to reporters, and Netanyahu heard about it entirely by chance and had to watch it at 8 pm with the entire Israeli people.”

On Oct. 7, Hamas launched an attack on Israeli military positions and settlements in the envelope of the Gaza Strip, killing about 1,200 Israelis, injuring 5,431 and capturing at least 239 hostages.

Dozens were exchanged with Israel during a temporary humanitarian pause that lasted seven days and ended in early December.

On the same day, the Israeli army launched a destructive war on Gaza that is still ongoing. It has resulted until Friday in a total of 24,762 fatalities, 62,108 injuries, an unprecedented humanitarian disaster that has forced more than 85% -- 1.9 million residents -- of the population to be displaced, according to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala