Netanyahu Reinstates Israeli Defense Minister Gallant, Blames Opposition for Latest Attacks

Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced the reinstatement of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a nationally televised address on Monday night in which he planned the last government for the current cross-border attacks from Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip and terror attacks that have plagued the nation in recent days.

“There were disagreements between us, even difficult ones on certain topics, but I decided to leave them behind. Gallant will remain in his position and will continue to work tougher on behalf of the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said, noting that: “In the last days, we worked together and stood together around the clock on all the fronts against the security challenges.” Gallant did not attend the news conference.

In late March, Netanyahu’s office announced Gallant’s firing following the defense minister’s call to pause legislation on Israel’s controversial judicial reforms. Gallant had said on national television that the reforms would endanger Israel’s security.

Netanyahu attributed the attacks to the weakness of the previous government and the protest movement against his government. Netanyahu claimed that under the previous Bennett-Lapid government, the number of terrorist attacks doubled and that the Bennett-Lapid government transferred gas fields off Israel’s Mediterranean coast “to the enemy without anything in return.” He also blamed Opposition Leader Yair Lapid for warning of a national collapse, saying that such talk emboldened Israel’s enemies. However, Netanyahu assured the public that his government would reestablish deterrence and “defeat our enemies.”

“Instead of holding press conferences and blaming others for the troubles caused by the most extremist and failed government in the nation’s history, the time has come for him and his ministers to stop whining and to finally take responsibility,” Lapid said in response.