GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 346

Eyes On Gallant

Netanyahu’s Had Enough

I told you that Prime Minister Netanyahu was being undermined by those serving under him and one of those I advised him to replace was Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Gallant, you may remember, said that it was a good thing to leave the southern border to get the hostages back at the same time the PM was saying they needed to hold on to it. And Gallant was the one who dressed down his boss in a cabinet meeting basically telling him his choice was giving into the pressure from Hamas to get a deal. We read in an article from The Times Of Israel that Netanyahu is preparing to fire Gallant:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and is considering appointing New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar as his replacement, national broadcaster Kan reported on Monday, citing an official within the prime minister’s bureau.

The PM has other options as well:

If the post of defense minister does not pan out, Sa’ar may receive the foreign minister role while Israel Katz takes over for Gallant, Channel 12 reported. It also claimed that New Hope MKs Ze’ev Elkin and Sharren Haskel may be offered ministerial portfolios.

For their part neither man is confirming the rumors:

The Prime Minister’s Office denied negotiations with Sa’ar, and a spokesman for Sa’ar claimed there was “nothing new” on the issue.

This talk of swapping Gallant out isn’t new, though:

Rumors that Netanyahu would replace Gallant have been circulating for months, with Sa’ar denying as early as July that he had received an offer that would bring him back into the coalition.

Sa’ar wasn’t willing to confirm or deny anything at the time:

Asked at the time if he would be willing to serve as defense minister in the current government, however, Sa’ar appeared to hint that he would consider the option, replying that he wouldn’t “tie my hands” on the matter.

Sa’ar’s name coming up for Defense Minister is odd as he has been a critic of Netanyahu:

The former Likud lawmaker and minister joined the coalition following the October 7 Hamas invasion and slaughter in southern Israel. He announced his party’s departure in March after his demand to be admitted to the now-defunct high-level war cabinet was denied. He has since harshly criticized the government’s conduct of the war in Gaza and has said he would be willing to make “concessions” to create a right-wing bloc opposing Netanyahu.

A month ago the PM’s wife said she didn’t trust him and Sa’ar says he wasn’t offered the job:

According to that report, Sa’ar had demanded the defense portfolio but was rebuffed, instead being offered other roles such as foreign or justice minister. A spokesman for Sa’ar denied this, telling The Times of Israel at the time that “there were no negotiations, so there was no breakdown.”

Gallant is on the hot seat, and in my opinion he has only himself to blame. And Hamas if we are to believe they were targeting him in their psyops plans.

Ground Invasion Coming

If we are to believe reports coming out of the military leadership, the IDF could be sending soldiers into southern Lebanon to secure the area as we read in another article from the Times Of Israel:

Israel’s top general commanding the restive northern frontier has reportedly begun actively lobbying leaders to okay a ground offensive into southern Lebanon with the goal of securing a buffer zone and halting over 11 months of incessant attacks on towns and communities in the Galilee, amid disagreements over the matter among politicians and defense brass.

Many people are wanting the Hezbollah threat to finally be ended:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has come under increasing pressure from both voters and lawmakers in recent weeks to deal with the threat of Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists who have menaced northern Israel and turned areas near the border into a veritable war zone, with tens of thousands displaced from their homes due to continued and sometimes deadly drone and missile attacks.

And the rift between Gallant and the PM may also be over fighting Hezbollah now:

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is believed to oppose a major military operation in Lebanon at this time, according to reports in Hebrew language media, while Netanyahu has appeared at least outwardly in favor of an operation, with one report suggesting he had threatened to fire Gallant over the issue.

One general who is fighting in the area thinks now is the time which also includes sending in troops but he’s being rebuffed by his bosses:

Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, the head of the Israel Defense Force’s Northern Command, is pressuring decision-makers to launch a large-scale incursion into Lebanon, while Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi have expressed doubts over launching a war against Hezbollah, thought to be a more formidable enemy than the Hamas terror group Israel is currently fighting in Gaza, Kan and Channel 13 news reported Sunday and Monday.

Gallant wants to see if a diplomatic solution can be found for both Hamas and Hezbollah:

According to the reports, Gallant believes now is not the right time for such action, and wants to give a chance to efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution in the north and a ceasefire-hostage deal in Gaza.

Gallant’s boss is not on the same page and seems willing to attack Hezbollah sooner than later and using any resistance as a reason to fire Gallant:

Kan reported that Netanyahu is pushing for an operation in Lebanon, albeit a more limited one, with an unnamed associate of the premier threatening to replace Gallant “if [he] tries to thwart an operation in the north.”

Apart from the constant friction between Netanyahu and Gallant, the need to settle down the northern war front is coming to head and a point of no return. And again, it aligns with the Psalm 83 war scenario as we read that such an offensive could light the region on fire:

Both Hezbollah and Israel maintain publicly they are not interested in a new all-out war, which would likely cause widespread damage in Israel and destroy much of Lebanon, but are ready to fight if need be. It could also draw in other Iranian proxies, such as Yemen’s Houthis who fired a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv on Sunday, or Tehran itself.

Even secular reporters see where this is headed. So yes, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.