Former Mossad Chief: Defense Minister Should Have Resigned Due to Judicial Reform Law Approval

Dani Yatom, former head of Mossad, stated in an interview with Israel's '103 FM' radio network on Tuesday, August 3, that Yoav Gallant, the country's Defense Minister, should have resigned due to the approval of the judicial reform law. According to the Jerusalem Post, Yatom said, 'Gallant should have done the bravest thing he could do, which is to announce that he is stopping this game. He should have resigned, whether good or bad.' The first part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed bill to reform the judicial powers of the country was approved by Israeli lawmakers on Monday, July 24. Karine Jean-Pierre, White House spokesperson, reacted to the approval of Netanyahu's proposed reforms in the Knesset, stating, 'It is regrettable that today's vote was conducted with the smallest possible majority.' She noted that President Joe Biden, as an old friend of Israel, has repeatedly stated both publicly and privately that the sustainability of major changes in a democratic system requires broad consensus. Gallant had called for a halt to the judicial reforms in late March, citing a 'perceptible danger' to national security and noting that 'hundreds of reserve military personnel threatened to stop their service in protest against the controversial laws.' Nationwide protests in Israel began in January of this year when Netanyahu's government announced a bill to revise the judicial system, which would revoke some powers of the Israeli Supreme Court and grant politicians greater influence in the selection of judges.