Netanyahu’s sacking of Gallant likely to precede a shake-up of Israel-US relations

The ex-defence minister was close to his US counterpart and his loss will give the prime minister a freer hand

Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, removes one of the harshest critics from his own government and empowers members of the far-right and ultra-Orthodox interests in Israel to key positions in Netanyahu’s cabinet.

By all accounts, the key causes for Gallant’s departure lie in domestic Israeli politics: the two men’s disagreements over a hostage deal with Hamas, Gallant’s opposition to blanket exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews from service in the IDF, and over a leaking scandal involving a close aide to Netanyahu.