Former Israeli Defense Chief Gallant leaves parliament

(Patria) - Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who often took an independent line against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies in government, said on Wednesday that he is resigning from parliament, Reuters reported.

Netanyahu dismissed Gallant from the government in November, after months of disagreements over the conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza, but he retained his seat as an elected member of the Knesset.

“Just as on the battlefield, so it is in public service. There are moments when one must stop, assess, and choose a direction to achieve goals,” Gallant said in a televised statement.

Gallant often clashed with Netanyahu and his far-right and religious party coalition allies, including over the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service.

In March 2023, Netanyahu dismissed Gallant after he called for a halt to the highly contested government plan to reduce the powers of the Supreme Court. His dismissal sparked mass protests, and Netanyahu backed down.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu, along with a Hamas leader, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict, which Israel disputes.