War Israeli Defense Minister Dismissal, ‘Pro-Trump’ Replacement, ‘Social Conflict’ Triggered
During the war, Israel dismissed its defense minister and replaced him with a ‘pro-Trump’ one, and Ukraine appointed Rustem Umerow (41), the head of the National Asset Fund, who is close to Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman, in September of last year, and Bin Salman was pardoned for the murder of a US government journalist due to his close relationship with Trump.
On the 5th, the day of the US presidential election, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Galland and appointed ‘pro-Trump’ Foreign Minister Katz as defense minister.
The dismissal, which was carried out before the US presidential election, triggered protests nationwide, including a large rally near the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, and the New York Times reported on the 5th that “large crowds opposing the dismissal of Minister Galland blocked traffic on a major highway in Tel Aviv and lit bonfires.” “The vital trust that was needed between the leader and the defense minister – especially in times of war – no longer exists between the prime minister and Minister Galland,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. “They worked well together in the early months of the war, but in recent months, the relationship has deteriorated.”
Minister Kalland, a supporter of the ceasefire, cited three reasons for his dismissal: “the precious priority of the release of hostages” held in Gaza, “a call for a universal conscription,” and a call for an independent commission to investigate the security failures that led to the Hamas attack on October 7 that triggered the war.
The controversial “ultra-Orthodox Jewish conscription exemption” has been a political squabble since the Supreme Court in June ordered an end to Israel’s longstanding exemption from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Defense Secretary Gallant approved an initial conscription order for thousands of ultra-Orthodox men. The ultra-Orthodox exemption clause has long been a source of polarization in Israeli society, with the children of more than a million ultra-Orthodox believers being given special “exemption” from military service, unlike the many 18-year-old Jewish boys and girls who are conscripted for years of mandatory military service.
The ultra-Orthodox have already surpassed 1 million, or more than 13% of the total population, and the prolonged war has exacerbated the conflict.
The “differences of opinion” that have emerged from the recent dismissal of the defense minister have led to large-scale protests across the country.
As foreign minister, the new defense minister criticized and banned Israel from entering the country last month for failing to condemn Iran’s largest missile attack on the world’s largest country.
“Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as has been the case with virtually every country in the world, is not fit to set foot on Israeli soil,” Katz said in a statement on October 2. “Israel will continue to protect its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without Secretary-General António Guterres.” Secretary Katz, who has no senior military experience, said on December 26, when Trump, then Transportation Secretary, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying, “President Trump made a courageous and historic decision,” and that he planned to name it “in honor of his contribution to strengthening Jerusalem’s status as the capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”
Nathan Sachs, an Israel expert at the Brookings Institution, told the Times that the Biden administration has come to see Galland as an important interlocutor as Prime Minister Netanyahu increasingly appears to be collapsing under the influence of hard-line coalition allies. “Galland has often reflected Israel’s more pragmatic security system, is internationally well-known, is accountable, and is fundamentally trustworthy. In the short term, this will be a loss for the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
On June 21, when the conflict with the Biden administration was at its peak, Prime Minister Netanyahu said in an interview with the US magazine Pouch Ball, “We know that the supply of critical ammunition and weapons is significantly slowing down,” and “We are talking about what we need to win the war in Gaza quickly and what we need to avoid a war in Lebanon, not the F-35 or the F-16 in a few years,” directly criticizing the Biden administration’s “weapons hold.”
In response to the deterioration of relations between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden, Minister Galland visited Washington and met with Biden administration officials to confirm his commitment to ceasefire negotiations and express Israel’s gratitude for US support, which made him appear “pro-Democratic,” and this became the background for his dismissal.
On September 4 last year, when fierce fighting with Russia continued in eastern Ukraine, he dismissed Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, and on the 18th, he dismissed six deputy defense ministers in succession.
The Guardian reported that Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerow has played a key role in negotiating Black Sea grain exports, prisoner of war exchanges, and civilian evacuation since the outbreak of the war in Russia, and has been the fund manager as the head of the National Asset Fund, an agency for the privatization of state-owned assets, since September of last year.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Minister Umerow is a Tatar Muslim who has built close relationships with leaders in the Islamic world, including Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Minister Umerow specifically stated his demands before the delegation’s visit to Korea in an interview with a KBS reporter on the 4th.
The transcript of the KBS interview that was released is as follows.
<Q. President Zelensky said he wants to carry out a preemptive strike against the North Korean military with missiles. Is this actually possible?
A. Why not? It is our territory. Anyone in the temporarily occupied territory or who attacks us is considered a terrorist. Naturally, our country has the right to defend itself, and we view them as enemies and terrorists.
Q. President Zelensky mentioned requesting an air defense system from the Korean government. What do Ukraine need most among the Cheongung (M-SAM) medium-range defense, Hyungung (AT-1K) anti-tank defense, and Biho low-altitude defense?
A. All three systems are necessary. Since the war is very intense, technologies that protect the population, the country's key infrastructure, and the brigades are beneficial. Korea is technologically advanced in this field, and cooperation and joint investment with Korean companies can be mutually beneficial.
Q. Are there priorities?
A. Air defense is the priority. All forms of air defense are the priority. Artillery is also the priority. Anti-IED and electronic warfare technologies are also the priority.
Q. What kind of artillery? 155mm shells? A.. 155mm, 152mm, 122mm are all necessary. All artillery and mortars of Soviet and NATO standards are necessary.>