Israel’s Former Defence Chief Resigns From Parliament

Former Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, has resigned from parliament.

Gallant had often taken an independent line against Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government allies.

Netanyahu fired him from the government in November after months of disagreements over the conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza but kept his seat as an elected member of the Knesset.

In a televised statement on Wednesday, Gallant said, “Just as it is on the battlefield, so it is in public service. There are moments in which one must stop, assess and choose a direction in order to achieve the goals.”

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The former defence chief had often broken ranks with Netanyahu and his coalition allies of far-right and religious parties, including over exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from serving in the conscript military, a hot button issue.

In March 2023, Netanyahu dismissed Gallant after he urged a halt to a highly contested government plan to cut the Supreme Court’s powers.

His dismissal sparked mass protests and Netanyahu backtracked.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu, along with a Hamas leader, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict, which Israel has contested.