Several thousands demonstrated across Israel Tuesday night in protest of the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hundreds of demonstrators blocked the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv for four and a half hours and set fire to the pavement in several places. Police officers on horses forcibly cleared the protesters and hosed skunk water against them for the first time in secular demonstrations in Tel Aviv. Usually, the skunk water is reserved for Haredim. About 40 demonstrators were arrested on the spot.
Protesters clashed with police outside Netanyahu’s residence on Gaza Street in Jerusalem and on Highway 1. According to the police, four were arrested in Jerusalem.
On the night of March 26-27, 2023, hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrated and blocked roads across the country following Netanyahu’s announcement of his decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, after the latter had warned that the judicial reform posed a danger to the security of the State of Israel. On the morning of March 27, the Histadrut trade union, the Airports Authority Committee, the Foreign Ministry Employees Committee, the Local Government Center, the Bar Association, and the shopping malls of the Azrieli, Ofer, and Big groups declared a general strike. Back then, Netanyahu gave in to the pressure, reinstated Gallant, and suspended the judicial reform.
On Tuesday night the nation did not have the energy to protest or did not feel Gallant was worth their effort, seeing as he was among those responsible for the October 7 catastrophe.
Around 12:30 AM, the police renewed its attempts to clear Ayalon Highway after Police Commissioner Danny Levy announced: “We will not allow fires to be lit on the highways, damage to property, and acts of violence, and we will act against them relentlessly.”
Meanwhile, following Defense Minister Gallant’s sacking, Netanyahu spoke with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and made it clear that he has full confidence in him. The Prime Minister’s Office reported that Netanyahu also spoke with Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar and Mossad Head David Barnea and told them he was “looking forward to continuing to work together with the new Defense Minister.”
Netanyahu’s round of talks with the defense leadership indicates that he has no intention of making any further shakeups, at least not in the foreseeable future. Netanyahu’s dismissal of DM Gallant came after very long months of disputes between the two, to the point where Netanyahu felt it was difficult for him to conduct the war in keeping with his policy. Gallant challenged the PM not only in cabinet meetings but in leaks to the mainstream media.
A few months ago, after a big majority of the cabinet had decided the IDF must remain in Rafah and the Philadelphi corridor – with Gallant casting the sole no vote, the DM took up the matter once again a few days later, pushing the ministers to change their decision, a serious break of protocol. Incidentally, it was the IDF’s presence in Rafah that eventually terminated Hamas mastermind Yahya Sinwar.
