US Election outcome comes as a relief for Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters celebrated Donald Trump’s election as president, hailing what a leader of the Israeli settler movement called an ally who would support them “unconditionally”. Congratulating Republican Trump, Netanyahu said the former president had made “history’s greatest comeback”.
The outcome is a relief for Netanyahu’s coalition, which has clashed with Biden’s Democratic administration over the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon that have fuelled protests worldwide and left Israel increasingly isolated internationally.
As the world watched the US election on Tuesday night, Netanyahu took the opportunity to sack his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, one of the Biden administration’s and the US military’s favoured interlocutors in the government. “The current administration trusted minister Gallant,” said Ephraim Sneh, a former brigadier general in the Israeli army. The removal of Gallant, in the middle of a multi-front war that threatens to escalate into a full-scale confrontation with Iran, drew protesters to the streets in Israel.
Israel Katz, Gallant’s replacement who had been serving as foreign minister, said Trump’s victory would strengthen the alliance with Israel and help to secure return of the 101 hostages still remaining in Gaza.
