Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of Yoav Gallant as defense minister and the ensuing protests across the country made many headlines in the Arab world. Many writers, bloggers, and social media users commented in joy over both the discharge, which they contrasted to Hamas’s remaining in power, and the demonstrations, which were read as a sign of weakness within Israeli society.
Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri expressed his joy in an interview with the terrorist group’s outlet Shehab: “Netanyahu dismissed his military minister Gallant today, who used to boast that he would eliminate Hamas. Today we tell them: Gallant left and Hamas remains and it will remain, God willing.”
Popular Algerian anchor Hafid Derradji posted on his X/Twitter account similarly: “Gallant, who promised to eliminate Hamas and Gaza, left due to his dismissal, but Gaza and Hamas remain.” Likewise, writer Ben Saeed wrote: “Gallant, who said he would ‘dismantle Hamas’ has been dismantled himself, while Hamas still remains and is only growing.”
Popular pro-Hezbollah blogger Hammam Shaalan uploaded a video of a speech by assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In the video, he says, “Just you wait… all of them [the Israeli leadership] have hidden their daggers and are only waiting to use them [against one another].”
Shaalan added: “Gallant, the Chief of Staff, and the head of the Shin Bet are trying to charge Netanyahu with treason through leaks, which prompted him to take action against them. May Allah have mercy on the Master of Martyrs [Nasrallah], who described this situation accurately.”
Conspiracy theories also sprouted around the dismissal. One Qatari user guessed that the dismissal of Gallant had to do with the PMO document leak affair, posting: “The Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced two days ago a leaking affair in which a high-ranking military person was arrested!!!??? Today, the ‘stinking Netanyahu’ fires Gallant. Is this coincidence? I expect Gallant is the one meant by the leaks case…”
Joy over dismissal – and protests
Sufian, a pro-Israel writer, uploaded a picture of a crying Barack Obama, and wrote, “Imagine now that Obama is busy with the elections and trying to play with the ballot boxes, and he was confident that all of Netanyahu’s plans would come to him through Ehud Barak, Gallant’s friend. Suddenly, Abu Yair, like a wolf, dismantles his plan from a distance and dismisses Gallant, who obstructed a devastating strike on Iran. No more leaks, you shameful leftist companion of Islamization.”
Netanyahu has lately referred to himself as Abu Yair, Arabic for “father of Yair,” the prime minister’s eldest son, who is an Israeli podcaster and political activist.
THE PROTESTS that ensued following Gallant’s were also extensively followed, though some spectators did not fully grasp what they saw.
An account titled “Jihad of Abu Obeida” published pictures from Tel Aviv, and wrote, “Oh Allah, scatter them! We are pleased to inform you that there are violent clashes in Haifa between the police and protesters against the dismissal of Gallant.”
The same account later published a video of Border Police officers walking towards the protesters on Ayalon Highway, and wrote, “Allahu Akbar, and to Allah be praise! Now the situation in Israel is exploding, with news of a military coup against Netanyahu after the dismissal of Gallant.” The post garnered over a million views.
Another pro-Hamas user uploaded the same video and wrote: “The Zionist army was very bored, so they went out to the street after the dismissal of Gallant. Oh Allah, make their destruction from their own plans. O Allah, make them destroy their homes, their synagogues, and their army with their own hands. O Allah, separate them and do not unite them on the same word.”
A pro-Houthi account lauded the fact that “Hundreds of settlers protesting Gallant’s dismissal head from Begin Gate to Ayalon Road in attempt to block traffic,” while another pro-Houthi user posted, “Tensions rise in Israel after the dismissal of Crime Minister Gallant; Mass demonstrations in Tel Aviv and civil disobedience. They are living the greatest torment. It is the power of Allah, who is able to take revenge on the criminals,” sealing the post with “Allah, curse the Jews.”
Viral Palestinian blogger Tamer posted on X, “Netanyahu succeeded in creating the confusion he was looking for in order to distract the media, the public and politicians from the leaks scandal. Protesters began taking to the streets to protest Gallant’s dismissal. Ten years in which Netanyahu succeeds in political maneuvering and escapes trial, and from that dismissal Gaza will pay the price because of the appointment of a marginalized person, without personality or opinion,” apparently referring to his replacement, Yisrael Katz.