Former defense minister Yoav Gallant announced his resignation from the Knesset on Wednesday evening.
"Shortly, I will inform the Speaker of the Knesset of my decision to conclude my tenure as a Member of the Knesset," Gallant said. "After 45 years of public service—35 of them in the IDF and the rest in the Knesset—this is just one station in a longer journey that is not yet complete. Whether on the battlefield or in public service, it’s important to pause, reassess, and aim for the necessary goals."
The former minister also commented on being removed from his role as defense minister. " Since I insisted on the draft for haredim into the IDF - I was removed from my job as defense minister," he said.
'Likud’s path is my path'
Gallant reaffirmed his loyalty to the Likud party, declaring: "Likud’s path is my path. I was a young soldier in Unit 13 when I cast my first vote and contributed to Begin’s historic victory in 1977. I will continue to be part of the Likud movement. At the beginning of my tenure as defense minister, during the initial days of the judicial reform, I warned that we were facing unprecedented times."
Gallant's absence during a pivotal Knesset vote—where the coalition narrowly passed tax laws with the critical presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who left the hospital to attend, and MK Boaz Bismuth, who participated despite mourning his mother—prompted strong reactions. Some within Likud have called for Gallant to be declared a “resigning MK.”
Such a designation carries significant implications: it would bar Gallant from running in the next Knesset elections on any list currently represented in the Knesset.
Additionally, it would prohibit him from forming a new party with representatives from existing factions. However, he could run with a completely new party if it contests independently in the next elections.
Further, the sanction would not apply if Gallant voluntarily steps down after being declared a resigning MK.
Two months ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Gallant’s dismissal following ongoing tensions since the outbreak of the war.
In response, Gallant stated, "I made it clear to the prime minister that my priorities are unequivocal—Israel, the IDF, and the security apparatus come first, and only after that, my personal future. The decision to dismiss me comes in the wake of an unprecedented series of achievements by the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the entire defense establishment."
After his announcement, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said, "Gallant spoke the simple truth today: he was fired to pass a disgraceful draft-dodging and refusal law, which is a betrayal of our soldiers, our fallen, and our wounded.
גלנט אמר היום את האמת הפשוטה: הוא פוטר כדי להעביר חוק השתמטות וסרבנות מחפיר שהוא בגידה בלוחמים, בהרוגים ובפצועים שלנו
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) January 1, 2025
National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz also responded, saying, "Yoav, you are a courageous individual whose words and actions are one. From your very first day in office to your last moment in the role, you have made a profound contribution to Israel’s security. The people of Israel owe you immense gratitude, along with the responsibility you shouldered for October 7."
יואב, אתה אדם אמיץ שפיו וליבו שווים. עשית עבודה משמעותית למען ביטחון ישראל, מהיום הראשון בתפקיד ועד הדקה האחרונה. עם ישראל כולו חב לך תודה עצומה, לצד האחריות שלקחת על ה-7.10.כל עוד הממשלה לא הלכה לבחירות לחדש את אמון העם, עליך לגלות את אותו האומץ שגילית תמיד, להישאר בכנסת,…
— בני גנץ - Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) January 1, 2025
"As long as the government has not called for elections to restore public trust, you must continue to show the courage that has always defined you. Stay in the Knesset and act according to your conscience. Do not support the passage of a law that enables draft-dodging during a time of war," Gantz concluded.
Gallant at the center of episodes that rocked Israeli politics
Gallant was at the center of a series of episodes that rocked Israel since the current government’s inception two years ago.
In March 2023, Gallant warned publicly that the social tension in Israel caused by the government’s controversial judicial reforms were a national security liability. Netanyahu responded by announcing Gallant’s removal, but mass protests that broke out led the prime minister to backtrack, in what became known as “The Night of Gallant.”
Gallant once again irked the prime minister when he announced publicly that the defense ministry under his lead would not participate in a haredi draft bill that was not accepted by National Unity led by MKs Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who were then part of the government. The move effectively stalled the bill, as the attorney general’s office refused to green light a bill that was not based on defense ministry professional opinions.
Facing a threat to the coalition over the haredi parties’ displeasure with Gallant, Netanyahu fired him on November 5 and replaced him with Yisrael Katz. The move also paved the way into the government for Gideon Sa’ar’s United Right party, as Sa’ar took over from Katz as Foreign Minister.
In an impassioned speech following his removal that ended with a somber salute, Gallant said that a "moral darkness" has fallen on Israel, due to Netanyahu's attempts to exempt haredim from IDF service, unwillingness to go through with a hostage deal, and unwillingness to form a National Commission of Inquiry.
According to a number of reports, the Likud was considering sanctioning Gallant by giving him a legal status of an MK who was acting against party interests, after Gallant abstained from a number of key votes in recent weeks. MKs who receive this status may not run in the next election in any party that was part of the previous Knesset. Gallant’s stepping down was therefore likely intended to preempt the move, and thus will allow him to compete as a member of the Likud in the next election.
The speech was a remarkable break from Netanyahu, as Gallant once again became the only member of the Likud willing to criticize the prime minister publicly.
The next up on the Likud list to enter the Knesset is Afif Abed, who is a member of the Druze community.
However, Netanyahu may choose to have one of the Likud ministers who resigned from their Knesset posts as part of the “Norwegian Law,” return to the Knesset in Gallant’s place. This would ensure that Gallant’s vote against a haredi draft bill would be replaced with a yes vote.