Thousands Protest in Jerusalem for Second Night Over Netanyahu’s Firing of Defense Minister

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Thousands of Israelis gathered in Jerusalem and at multiple locations across the country on Wednesday evening, as the Jewish state braced for a second night of protests following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

In Jerusalem, protesters gathered near the Knesset, Israel’s parliament building, urging Netanyahu to reverse his decision. The dismissal is scheduled to take effect on Thursday evening, 48 hours after the prime minister gave Gallant a letter informing him of his dismissal.

These protests, dubbed “Night of Gallant 2,” recall Netanyahu’s previous dismissal of Gallant in March 2023 after he publicly opposed the prime minister’s stance on judicial reforms.

Massive nationwide demonstrations, known then as “Night of Gallant,” ultimately compelled Netanyahu to reinstate him as defense minister. In response to the latest announcement, tens of thousands have gathered across Israel, with protests erupting in Haifa, Netanya, Beersheba, and at key junctions nationwide, alongside major rallies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

This time, however, the demonstrations were much smaller, making it unlikely that public pressure will once again succeed in reversing the prime minister’s decision.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu faces political opposition for his decision.

In a rare display of unity, the leaders of Israel’s four Zionist opposition parties joined together on Wednesday to condemn the prime minister’s decision to remove Gallant.

In a joint press conference, opposition leaders—including Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid, Benny Gantz of National Unity, Yair Golan of The Democrats Party, and Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beitenu—came together to accuse Netanyahu of dismissing Gallant to push through a new IDF draft law and distract from multiple escalating scandals within the Prime Minister’s Office.

Lapid, the opposition leader, voiced his frustration: “The dismissal of Defense Minister Gallant yesterday is an act of insanity by an incompetent prime minister,” he began.

Addressing the Israeli public, Lapid urged, “Don’t let the lies work on you. Gallant was not fired because of professional disagreements.”

He continued, “You can’t trust the Prime Minister or the Cabinet. The only person who could be trusted was fired yesterday. Netanyahu is not qualified; he cannot lead Israel in wartime. The soldiers can’t trust him. He had a choice—and he chose disgrace.”

In response, the Netanyahu’s Likud Party issued a statement stating, “They will continue to complain, and we will continue to win.”

The party’s statement continued, “When the left, led by Golan, Lapid, and Gantz along with Liberman, stands by Gallant—that says everything.”

The statement pointed out past criticisms of the opposition, saying, “Just a few months ago, Liberman mocked Gallant and said, ‘We don’t have a defense minister; we have a minister for threats.’ And two months ago, Gantz stated that Gallant must resign. Prime Minister Netanyahu, together with the new Defense Minister Israel Katz, will lead Israel to complete victory.”

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