JERUSALEM – Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who once took an independent position against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters in the government, said he is resigning from parliament.
Gallant was fired from government in November by Netanyahu, after months of disagreements over the conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza, but retained his seat as an elected member of the Knesset.
“As it happens on the battlefield, so it is in public service. There are times when one must stop, assess and choose a direction in order to achieve one’s goals,” Gallant said in a televised statement.
Gallant often fell out with Netanyahu and his far-right and religious allies, including the exemption granted to Orthodox Jewish men to serve in the military — a hot-button issue.
In March 2023, Netanyahu fired Gallant after he called for a halt to the government’s highly contested plan to cut the Supreme Court’s powers. His ouster sparked mass protests and Netanyahu stepped down.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu, as well as the leader of Hamas, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict, which Israel opposes.
