Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday, January 1, announced his resignation from the country’s parliament (Knesset).
Gallant’s decision comes nearly two months after he was removed from his post by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to a lack of mutual trust that had grown since Israel’s wars on Gaza and Lebanon.
Gallant submitted his resignation to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
“As on the battlefield, so too in the public service – there are moments when you have to stop, assess the situation, and choose the direction of action in order to reach the required goals,” Gallant said in a video message.
“This is a station in a longer journey, which has not yet been completed. The Likud way is my way. I believe in the principles of the movement and trust its members and voters. As a member of the Likud movement, I will continue and fight – for its national, ideological and Zionist path,” he added.
Since the government’s inception in late 2022, Netanyahu and Gallant’s relationship has been strained. Gallant was fired in March 2023 for demanding a halt to a Supreme Court power reduction plan, leading to mass protests and subsequent dismissal in November 2024.
In November, International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu, on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict, but Tel Aviv rejects the court’s decision.
Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in 45,541 deaths, 108,338 injuries, and over 11,000 missing, causing massive destruction and famine, resulting in one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
