According to the testimony of two eyewitnesses who were present at the scene of the accident, to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, shortly after the accident occurred, office spokesman Yonatan Urich already had a video clip recording the incident from the office’s surveillance cameras, and he shared the video with other parties.
“Yedioth Ahronoth” explained that this report was published only one hour after another new case involving the Prime Minister’s Office, according to which, in a request submitted to the Office of the Chief of Staff, Netanyahu’s office allegedly kept sensitive personal documents of an IDF officer who was working With them, while the Gallant document in the possession of Netanyahu’s partners has nothing to do with this case.
According to what the newspaper reported, the event related to Gallant occurred five days after the start of the war in Gaza, on October 12, 2023, at 1:40 p.m.
According to the evidence, the Prime Minister’s Office invited the then Minister of Defense to the Cabinet session, but he was told that it would be held in a room in Kirya, Etel, and upon Gallant’s arrival at the scene, he discovered that the meeting was not held in that place, but in the Prime Minister’s office in Kirya. , just a few minutes walk away.
Gallant arrived at the Prime Minister’s office late, but to his surprise, he was prevented from entering the place. Gallant’s security guard asked the office security guard to open the door, but the latter refused, and immediately a physical confrontation began between Gallant and the security guard.
“In those days, there were repeated attempts by Netanyahu and his men to humiliate Gallant, by not inviting him to security meetings or trying to separate him from decisions,” a senior political official said at the time.
The source claimed, “Even in this case, it seems that they sent the Minister of Defense to a meeting that was not held with the aim of humiliating him.”
He asked: “Since when cannot the Defense Minister who comes to the Prime Minister’s Office to attend a Cabinet meeting enter?”
Following the confrontation between Gallant and the Prime Minister’s Office guard, Oresh – Netanyahu’s advisor – received an internal video from the office’s surveillance cameras. The video reached Juric within a very short period, and people close to him testified that he watched the video during a war cabinet meeting, and from a mobile phone. It is not clear whether the phone he watched the video on was his personal phone.
A source familiar with the details of the case stated, “What was clear to us is that Netanyahu’s office removed the recorded material from the security cameras to use it against Gallant or to threaten him.”
While Yonatan Oresh responded to that, saying: “I don’t know the story.”
For her part, Knesset Member Efrat Reiten of the “Labour” Party referred in the plenary session to the series of scandals in the office, as well as to the new scandals that were revealed here, adding: “Every day there are disturbing investigations published about what is happening in the Prime Minister’s Office. Do you follow up on raids and investigations? Because I really lost the ability to understand. There is an investigation into the theft of confidential documents from a security source, which exposes the source to the eyes of enemies and the safety of Israeli army soldiers and kidnappers to real danger, and the suspects are officers in the IDF and members of the Prime Minister and the Minister’s Office.”
She continued: “There is an investigation into suspicions of falsifying security protocols by Netanyahu’s office. Yesterday it became known about an investigation into bribery of the head of the National Security Council, this evening it was revealed that an appeal had been filed with the Chief of Staff and the Prime Minister’s Office allegedly held sensitive personal documents related to an IDF officer. In other words, the office has a record of intimate activity carried out by Netanyahu’s people. Do you know what is meant? What tape? Perhaps embarrassing, perhaps used as a tool for blackmail… It was also announced this evening that they had collected material about Gallant from surveillance cameras and of course reached one of Netanyahu’s advisors. What’s going on in this office? The nest of insects…the heart of discrimination.”
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the official dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Galant and the appointment of Foreign Minister Israel Katz in his place, while Gideon Saar will replace Katz as Foreign Minister.
Source: “Yedioth Ahronoth”
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**Interview with Political Analyst Dr. Miriam Cohen on the Recent Israeli Political Turmoil Following Netanyahu’s Firing of Defense Minister Gallant**
**Interviewer:** Welcome, Dr. Cohen. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the recent developments in Israeli politics, particularly regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Can you provide some context on what led to this decision?
**Dr. Cohen:** Absolutely, and thank you for having me. The decision to fire Yoav Gallant appears to stem from months of tension between him and Prime Minister Netanyahu, particularly concerning domestic politics and security issues. Gallant had been increasingly critical of Netanyahu’s approach to the military and security situation, especially following the outbreak of the war in Gaza last month.
**Interviewer:** Interesting. There are reports suggesting that tensions escalated significantly just before the firing. Can you elaborate on the incident involving Gallant and the Prime Minister’s Office?
**Dr. Cohen:** Yes, this incident is quite telling. It occurred shortly after a Cabinet meeting that Gallant was invited to but was misled about its location. He arrived late to find that he was barred from entering the meeting. This situation escalated when a physical confrontation occurred between Gallant and a security guard at the Prime Minister’s Office. Eyewitness accounts indicate that it was part of a broader pattern of humiliation directed at Gallant by Netanyahu’s team.
**Interviewer:** It seems like there might be more behind this incident. The report mentions a video recording of the altercation being circulated within political circles. What implications does this have for Gallant and Netanyahu?
**Dr. Cohen:** The existence of this video raises serious ethical and political questions. It suggests a level of surveillance and manipulation within the Prime Minister’s Office that is concerning. If the video were indeed used against Gallant to threaten or intimidate him, that could further deepen the political rift and set a dangerous precedent for how political disagreements are handled in Israel.
**Interviewer:** Knesset Member Efrat Reiten from the Labour Party has also commented on the unfolding scandals. How do you see this impacting the current government’s stability?
**Dr. Cohen:** Reiten’s remarks reflect a growing discontent within and outside of Netanyahu’s coalition. As more scandals are revealed, it can undermine public trust in the government and create divisions within the coalition. If they cannot effectively address these issues, we could see increased calls for accountability or even political instability, which might lead to further elections.
**Interviewer:** Given this situation, what do you think the future holds for both Netanyahu and Gallant?
**Dr. Cohen:** For Netanyahu, maintaining control and silencing dissent will be crucial, but this latest incident may backfire, exacerbating tensions within his government. For Gallant, while this firing could be perceived as a career setback, it also positions him as a possible unifying figure for opposition parties. Political dynamics in Israel can shift rapidly, and this incident might be a pivotal moment for both politicians moving forward.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. Cohen, for your insights on this complex situation. It’s clear that the political landscape in Israel is shifting, and we will be following these developments closely.
**Dr. Cohen:** Thank you for having me. It’s an important situation to watch, and I look forward to discussing future developments.
