Politics are Changing: Here’s What It Means for Israel

In a landslide victory, former President Donald Trump won the presidential election this week. On the same day, in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and replaced him with Israel Katz. What do these changes in positions mean for Israel’s future?

Four years ago, relations between the United States and Israel were at an all time high after Trump brought tremendous change to the two countries’ bonds. This quickly changed to a new low after the Biden/Harris administration took power.

Under Biden, U.S. sanctions were lifted from Iran, empowering them to attack Israel in various ways. Not only that, but the Biden administration claimed the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria were illegal under international law, which is the opposite of what the Trump administration stated in the historic Pompeo Doctrine. The Biden administration also sanctioned countless entities and individuals in Judea and Samaria. 

It made sense to lift sanctions on Iran and place sanctions on Israeli farmers, right? Note the sarcasm in that rhetorical question. Through countless other means, terrorism has thrived under the Biden administration. 

A new day for US-Israel Relations

As of Wednesday, November 6th, Donald Trump was once again elected to become the president of the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu was quick to warmly congratulate him: 

“Dear Donald and Melania Trump,

Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!

In true friendship,                                                                                                                                                         yours,

Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu”

Many relate to Netanyahu’s sentiment and hope that during the next four years Trump will reinstate sanctions on Iran, advocate against a two-state solution, cut funding to the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA, and put a quick end to this war in Gaza and Lebanon. 

A new day in Netanyahu’s cabinet

The same day Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was fired from his position in the Israeli government.

Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu have been at odds for some time and were especially so when it came to the handling of the war in Gaza. Gallant stood in support of Israel securing a ceasefire before dismantling Hamas and stood against the IDF controlling the Philadelphi Corridor. Many people across the world agreed with this ideology, so why was it opposed by Netanyahu? Let’s dive into that.

Securing a ceasefire

This has been a hot topic that you can learn about in this article:  “Ceasefire or Israeli Rescue Operation: which will bring the hostages home faster?”

To summarize, a hostage deal without dismantling Hamas would simply provide incentive for more kidnappings in the future. This would be a short term solution that would create a long term problem.

The Philadelphi Corridor

Yoav Gallant also strongly opposed an IDF presence in the Philadelphi corridor. The reality is that this is one of the most, if not the most, crucial locations for the IDF to control. Under the Philadelphi corridor, over 200 tunnels were found connecting Gaza to Egypt that allowed for human trafficking and the transit of munitions. 

If you want to learn more about the Philadelphi Corridor and how it relates to the war in Gaza, our team went to Gaza to see it firsthand. You can read their analysis here: “If Israel Withdraws from the Philadelphi Corridor, They Will Lose the War.”

Yoav Gallant didn’t bow out of office gracefully. Upon his dismissal, he made several disadvantageous comments and one of these was directly related to the Philadelphi corridor:

“The IDF commander and I said there was no security reason for remaining in the Philadelphi corridor. Netanyahu said that it was a diplomatic consideration; I’m telling you there was no diplomatic consideration.”

Who will replace the defense minister? 

Taking Yoav Galant’s place as defense minister, at least in the interim, is Knesset Member Israel Katz. Some have claimed he doesn’t have adequate experience to fulfill the role, but the reality is far from that. Katz has held senior ministerial positions in the Israeli government for over twenty years. These have included: 

• Agriculture
• Transportation 
• Intelligence
• Foreign affairs
• Finance 

Needless to say, he has sufficient credentials. 

An often forgotten factor by many is that Netanyahu has a lengthy history in defense and security, and has had a lengthy background in the Israeli special forces. Netanyahu has enough experience to run this war, even if he needed to take on the defense minister position on his own.  

A new day for two countries

With these changes in government, we’re optimistic for the future of both the United States and Israel. We’re hopeful for new and better changes in policies, especially when it comes to Israel, and hope that many individuals across the world are experiencing this same optimism. Here’s to the brightened futures of the United States and Israel.