Yoav Gallant is a former commander of the Israeli navy, a much-decorated war hero, a member of Israel’s parliament and, since last year, Defense Minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Until the end of March Gallant fell into line. He said nothing publicly that was pertinent to what had been happening in Israel for weeks and then months – which was hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to protest the government’s plan to overhaul the Israeli judiciary. But then Gallant stopped doing what his superior, Netanyahu, wanted him to do, which was only to go about his business.
But on March 25th Gallant refused any longer to obey authority, to follow where it was that Netanyahu led. Instead, the defense minister gave a speech in which he publicly called for the prime minister to change course, or at least to delay the process. “The security of the state of Israel is my life’s mission,” said Gallant. “Clothed in the IDF’s [Israeli Defense Forces] uniform, I have risked my life dozens of times for the State of Israel, and at this time, for the sake of our country, I am willing to take any risk and pay any price.” He said that he had been speaking to military officers and to the rank and file about the government’s plan to reduce the power of the courts. He went on to say that he had heard their voices and was “worried.” “Unprecedented feelings of anger, pain and disappointment have risen from all over,” he continued, going on finally to withhold his support for how Netanyahu was proceeding. Concluded Gallant, “I will not lend my hand to this.”
Netanyahu was enraged. He was enraged at Gallant for speaking his truth to the prime minister’s power, for being, as he saw it, insubordinate. What did Netanyahu do? Within approximately 24 hours he fired Gallant. What was the result? Mayhem. What had been massive protests morphosed in an instant into demonstrations so enormous and disruptive they threatened to bring Israel to a total halt. To the point where its economic and political stability, and its military security, were at risk.
Gallant had backed Netanyahu into a corner. About 48 hours after the defense minister spoke out the prime minister felt forced to call for a pause. He announced he would delay the proposed judicial reforms – which had proved so inflammatory as nearly to paralyze the state everyone professed to love.
Curiously, or maybe not, for now Gallant remains in his job. Perhaps he’ll help Netanyahu save face by apologizing for what he did or, more likely, how he did it. But whatever the short term outcome, when the history of this period is written Gallant’s speaking out will be seen as a pivotal moment. The subordinate forced his superior to stop in his tracks.