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Gallant addressed the army for the last time: “Stay within the circle of values, do not let anyone mislead you”.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, who was fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier, held a final meeting with the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in which he urged the country’s military leadership to remain loyal Did. Its commitment to the defense of the state and not succumbing to external pressures.

Gallant said, “When the winds are stormy, when darkness surrounds you, stick to the direction of values, the direction of morality, and don’t let anyone divert you from that path.” 7 October”, but also “moments of recovery and unprecedented achievements” during the subsequent war. “The loyalty of the IDF, of its fighters, of its officers, of recruits from day one, is to the State of Israel and its laws, and The commitment is expressed in the spirit and values ​​of the IDF.” “We are committed to the same,” the outgoing defense minister said, according to his office.

Netanyahu had argued a day earlier that Galant’s dismissal was justified due to tensions and discrepancies between the two, which have increased in recent days, leading to a lack of coordination that is not tolerable, even Even less so in the context of a war like Israel’s. The Gaza Strip and Hezbollah are moving along open fronts along the northern border. The discrepancies Netanyahu noted relate not only to a hypothetical agreement for the release of the hostages, but also to Galant’s encouragement to withdraw exemptions given to the ultra-Orthodox from not performing military service. This social group is an essential part of Netanyahu’s government.

Thus, Gallant took advantage of this latest meeting with Israel’s military leadership to emphasize the need to expand the ranks of the IDF in view of the “security challenges” in the country and that in the future it will “increase significantly.” “We will need more resources, the first of which is that we will need more people,” he said. Gallant’s dismissal received support from most of Netanyahu’s cabinet, including his most ultra-nationalist allies. However, this was not well received by the opposition, which accused the President of taking political decisions in the context of national insecurity. (ep)