ALSO SEE: Israel's Netanyahu Dismisses His Defense Minister as Wars Rage. Protests Erupt Across Country

Opponents say decision was to protect ultra-Orthodox from conscription and ‘will damage security’; Naim Qassem says ‘we have thousands of fighters’

Israeli opposition leaders have issued a joint statement condemning Benjamin Netanyahu for his decision yesterday to fire defense minister Yoav Gallant, and replace him with the foreign minister, Israel Katz.

“Firing the defense minister because of a political need to pass legislation dismissing the ultra-Orthodox from army service deals severe damage to the Israeli people’s security and spirit, but it will not break us,” said Benny Gantz, leader of the Israel Resilience Party and himself a former defense minister.

Joining him in the statement were Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan.

Gantz continued by vowing to “fight the prime minister’s attempt to rule unchallenged.”

He said the leaders represented “a large majority of Israelis,” and not just the Knesset members from their respective parties.

In a message on social media, Lapid added that members of Netanyahu’s Likud party were “cowards” for remaining silent on the issue.

In a statement late on Tuesday, Gallant had said his dismissal was triggered by disputes over Ultra-Orthodox conscription, Israel’s “moral obligation to return the hostages” and the need for a full inquiry to learn lessons of the 7 October terror attacks.

While the move was not entirely unexpected, Netanyahu chose to fire Gallant yesterday, on the day of the US elections, when world – and Israeli – media attention chiefly had eyes elsewhere.