Remember this photograph, which all of us Israelis saw live on TV last night as Yoav Gallant saluted the soldiers still fighting, after he was fired by Netanyahu.
Prediction: this is one of those iconic photos that will be in the history books, assuming that last night was the beginning of what many people here fear it was.
We had planned, as we noted yesterday, to post Part II of our conversation with Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, and we will of course still do that. But last night was a history-making moment, and I’m not referring to the American elections, which will almost certainly have an immediate impact on our war.
Rather, what unfolded in Israel was no less momentous, and today we take a first look at immediate reactions, while in coming days, we’ll unpack it more deeply.
Today, we’re sharing some initial reactions from the Israeli Hebrew press (Google translated as necessary), and in the coming days, will be airing podcasts with some of Israel’s most important journalists, writers and public intellectuals to fully explore what happened and what it might mean for Israel’s future.
Tomorrow, we will post a podcast conversation with Ari Shavit, one of Israel’s veteran and most venerated reporters and analysts, a New York Times bestselling author, who (as you will hear) said to me today as we recorded the conversation, “November 5 was the worst day of the war since October 7. By far. By far.”
Why? That’s coming tomorrow.
We begin with Ha’aretz (Google translated), but Ha’aretz was not alone. Firing the Defense Minister (perfectly legal, by the way) in the middle of a war and replacing him with someone who has zero military background and who has not been privy to the ongoing, intimate conversations between Israel and the US just as Iran appears likely to strike, was obviously not motivated by the needs of the war.
It was motivated by politics, and more immediately, Netanyahu’s shaky relationship with the ultra-Orthodox, who have zero allegiance to this country (and whose founding ideology opposed its creation) but now control a tremendous amount.
Israeli TV newscasters last night pointed to messages from soldiers at the front who wondered just what they were doing out there, when the government can’t even hold it together to prosecute the war. (Ari Shavit addresses this issue directly, tomorrow.) The percentage of those not showing up for rounds three or four of reserve duty has been going up—more and more soldiers say that their wives, or their kids, or their businesses, just can’t take it any more.
With zero confidence that the government has the war and its soldiers at the top of its priorities, it would be shocking if the numbers of those who refuse to report did not go up.
Welcome back to 2023.
With that in mind, you can now understand the full context of Naftali Bennett’s comments in the video above. The soldiers feel abandoned, and he’s asking them not to abandon us.
Obviously, we need them at the front. But would I be able to look a soldier who’d just turned around and gone home in the eye and say “what you did was wrong”?
If I’m to be honest, nope. At least not today. Not after last night.
Now, we move from Ha’aretz to YNet, much more centrist, and look at two pieces, both Google translated. The first piece (by Ron Ben Yishai, a veteran military and government affairs reporter) is presented only in part, while for the second (by Nahum Barnea, one of Israel’s most respected and widely-read columnists), we’re attaching the entire screenshot.
Here’s Ron Ben Yishai:
And here’s Nahum Barnea:
Now, we turn to Israeli social media, and more precisely, tweets from leading politicians. If you’re feeling sorry for Bibi and wondering why no one on this list supported him, fear not—we’ve also included the tweet by the enthusiastically supportive Itamar Ben-Gvir.
First, from Yisrael Katz, the new defense minister who—as everyone in the country knows—has zero military or defense background. With Israel quite possibly about to be attacked by Iran, Israelis are feeling a bit panicked that the seasoned military guy is gone and that a “mere” politician, now completely subservient to Bibi, has replaced him.
“I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for the trust he has placed in me by appointing me to the position of Defense Minister.
I accept this responsibility with a sense of mission and holy fear for the State of Israel and its citizens.
We will work together to advance the work of the Israeli security forces in the war against our enemies and to achieve the goals of this war: the return of the hostages as the most important task, and…”
Yair Golan, relatively new head of the Labor Party:
I call upon all of the heads of the universities and the heads of the colleges—go on strike from studies.
I call on the heads of the economy—go on strike from working.
I call on the heads of the security forces, raise a cry, even now while you are in uniform.
I call on all of the citizens of Israel, go out to the streets. Netanyahu is destroying the State of Israel and only we can save it.
Benny Gantz, former IDF Chief of Staff, who had already quit the War Cabinet a few months ago out of frustration with Netanyahu’s conduct of the conflict and failure to work to get the hostages back.
Already at these moments, it is important for me to implore my friend Defense Minister Yoav Gallant not to resign from the Knesset, to stay and make his important voice heard regarding the critical issues at hand.
Yoav—your voice is important, your experience is important, keep standing guard.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Head of the Jewish Power party:
I commend the Prime Minister on his decision to fire Gallant. With Gallant still deeply embroiled in a konseptzia [false certainty], it is impossible to achieve complete victory—good for the Prime Minister for relieving him of his position.
Yair Lapid, former PM and now head of the opposition, in two back to back tweets:
Tweet #1 above:
Gallant’s salute at the end of his speech will remain in the memory of every Israeli. This is the behavior of an officer and a fighter who was deposed only for refusing to prioritize Netanyahu’s depraved political agenda over the good of our soldiers and the lives of the hostages.
Tweet #2 above:
I said this evening to Yonit Levi on Channel 12: This is the craziest night in the history of this country. Netanyahu is unfit for his position. Netanyahu is a danger to the very existence of this country.
But now, remember the video at the top of this post.
Naftali Bennett
Bennett is promising change, and is urging the soldiers to keep protecting us and at the same time, promising that we will look out for them. Is he announcing that now it’s time to get rid of Bibi and that he will take a leading role? Not clear.
One of the tweets above said that Gallant might now be an alternative to Bibi. Does Bennett have himself, rather than Gallant, in mind, when he promises that change is coming?
This nation of lions has a leadership that is sick and crazy. But I call on all the soldiers, do not lose your focus against the enemy. You will protect us, and we, the public, will protect you. Do not despair: change is coming!
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