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‘This is madness’ – US furious over Netanyahu plan to fire defense minister

Biden administration furious over potential cabinet shake-up, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “would be crazy” to replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

By World Israel News Staff

The Biden administration is furious over an expected move by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant – with whom he has repeatedly butted heads – and replace him with New Hope party chairman Gideon Saa’ar.

“Replacing a defense minister during a war for political reasons is an act of madness, especially when it’s a defense minister with military experience,” a senior American diplomat fumed to Hebrew-language news outlet Channel 12 on Monday, following reports about the likely change in Netanyahu’s cabinet.

Another Biden administration official told Axios that Netanyahu “would be crazy” to replace “an experienced minister of defense like Gallant amid a war in Gaza and as Israel might be heading towards a possible all out war in Lebanon.”

Former defense minister Benny Gantz also lashed out against Netanyahu regarding the anticipated move, saying at a conference on Tuesday morning that the premier is “endangering Israel’s security during a war.”

The Biden administration has enjoyed a close relationship with Gallant, whom they felt was a counterweight to more hawkish political leaders in Netanyahu’s coalition, such as Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit party.

Washington likely views Gallant being replaced as another step towards a large-scale military confrontation with Hezbollah, following an announcement that the return of displaced northerners to their homes has officially been added as a goal for the ongoing war.

The U.S. has been intensely pressuring Israel to refrain from launching a high intensity military campaign against the Lebanon-based terror group until after the November presidential elections.

But according to a Channel 12 report, both the political and defense establishments feel that the tit-for-tat attacks which have defined much of the fighting with Hezbollah over the past 11 months aren’t sufficient for deterring the terror group, and that the chances of a diplomatic solution to the conflict are slim.