Bibi Fires Defense Minister Gallant Over Opposition to Stripping Israel's Judiciary of Its Independence

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant less than 24 hours after Gallant publicly called upon Bibi to halt efforts to strip Israel's judiciary of its independence. 

Netanyahu fired Gallant at the behest of his National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. 

Gallant was the highest-ranking minister from Netanyahu's own Likud Party to express opposition to Netanyahu's judicial overhaul. In firing Gallant, Bibi has not only turned him into a martyr but has effectively turned him into the leader of a movement that has moved more than half a million Israelis or 5.5% of its population to the streets. Bibi has also demonstrated that he is beholden to Ben-Gvir and he also may have unintentionally coronated his successor, if not in Likud then perhaps as Prime Minister.

The big question is if Gallant can convince other Likudniks that Ben-Gvir and the other smaller religious parties have too much influence and pull the plug on the coalition and force new elections with Gallant leading a faction of dissenting Likudniks. Or does Netanyahu's firing of Gallant quell all dissent and Israel's independent judiciary will be no more?

I cannot help but think we have not heard the last of Yoav Gallant. If this is the case then Benjamin Netanyahu may have made the biggest mistake of his long political career.