Israeli MP: Defense Minister was never fired
Danny Danon says Netanyahu never officially fired the reinstated Yoav Gallant
Israel鈥檚 Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant 鈥渨as not fired鈥� according to senior Israeli politician Danny Danon. Prime Minister Netanyahu鈥檚 announcement that he intended to fire Mr Gallant a few weeks ago triggered enormous protests in Israel and a general strike, but Mr Dannon told the 麻豆约拍鈥檚 HARDtalk programme that Mr Netanyahu 鈥榙idn鈥檛 do it鈥�.
Challenged by Stephen Sackur about whether the recent reinstatement of Mr Gallant demonstrated instability at the top of Israel鈥檚 government, Mr Dannon, a member of Israel鈥檚 Knesset and Mr Netanyahu鈥檚 Likud party, said: 鈥渙fficially, legally, in order to fire a minister鈥e has to write a letter and announce that he鈥檚 firing a minister鈥�.he announced his intention but he never sent the letter鈥�.
Mr Gallant was fired after expressing concern about the judicial reforms the Prime Minister was attempting to push through, and about the enormous political backlash, including widespread insubordination within Israel鈥檚 armed forces. Speaking from Jerusalem, Mr Danon, Israel鈥檚 former ambassador to the UN, said Israeli soldiers 鈥榮hould put politics aside鈥� once they 鈥榳ear the uniforms鈥�.
The judicial reforms should not be reversed, Mr Danon said, but that the government 鈥榮hould learn the lessons鈥� from their execution. 鈥榃e should do it slower, we should listen to our opponents, we should have a dialogue and we should try to reach a compromise鈥�.
The controversial reforms, which proponents say rebalance the system from an over-powerful judiciary, and whose critics argue severely undermine the country's democracy by weakening the judicial system, are currently on hold. Mr Netanyahu suspended them in the wake of mass protests and a general strike.
