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“Don’t let anyone divert you from the path”

File image of the former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant (L), together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi (D).


File image of the former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant (L), together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi (D). – Europa Press/Contact/Elad Malka/Israel Mod

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Thousands of protesters take to the streets of Jerusalem for the second day in a row to protest Gallant’s ouster

Nov. 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Minister of Defense of Israel, Yoav Gallant, dismissed the day before by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held a final meeting this Wednesday with the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in which he urged the leadership military of the country to be faithful to their commitment to the defense of the State and not succumb to external pressures.

“When the winds are stormy, when darkness surrounds you, stick to the compass of values, to the compass of morality, and do not let anyone deviate you from this path,” said Gallant, who recalled “the hours of the failure of October 7”, but also “the moments of recovery and unprecedented achievements” during the subsequent war.

“The loyalty of the IDF, of its fighters, of its officers, of the oath of the recruits from day one, is to the State of Israel and its laws, and the commitment is expressed in the spirit and values ​​of the IDF. That is what we are committed to,” added the outgoing Defense Minister, according to his office and reported by ‘The Times of Israel’.

Netanyahu argued the day before that Gallant’s dismissal was justified by the tensions and discrepancies between the two that, increased in recent times, had led to a lack of coordination that was not tolerable, even less so in a context of war like the one Israel is going through. , with open fronts in the Gaza Strip and on the northern border with Hezbollah.

The disagreements Netanyahu alluded to are not only over a hypothetical agreement for the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the end of the war, but also over Gallant’s impetus to withdraw the exemption from the that the ultra-orthodox enjoy to avoid military service. This social group is an essential part of Netanyahu’s government.

Thus, Gallant has taken advantage of this latest meeting with Israel’s military leadership to emphasize the need to expand the ranks of the IDF in view of the “security challenges” that the country is going through and that in the future “will increase.” significantly.” “We will need more resources, the first of which is that we will need more people,” he said.

Gallant’s dismissal received support from much of Netanyahu’s cabinet, including his most ultra-nationalist associates. However, it was not well received by the opposition, which accused the president of making a political decision in a context of national insecurity, nor among the population, who took to the streets and blocked roads in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and others. cities.

This Wednesday, thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Jerusalem again for the second consecutive day to protest the expulsion of Gallant. Protesters have gathered around the Parliament building (Knesset) and demand that the country’s authorities reach an agreement that culminates in the release of the hostages in Gaza and puts an end to a war that began almost thirteen months ago.

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