Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted former defense minister Yoav Gallant and former IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi were “obstacles” to reaching a bill to grant the ultra-Orthodox an exemption from military service, leaked recordings of the prime minister published by Channel 13 on Wednesday revealed.
ההקלטות המלאות שחשפנו הערב במהדורה: ראש הממשלה מודה בקולו ששר הביטחון גלנט והרמטכ״ל הלוי הוחלפו כי חסמו פתרון למשבר גיוס החרדים- pic.twitter.com/bbDqZfmmSx
— Lior Kenan - ליאור קינן (@LiorKenan) June 4, 2025
In a recording of an English-language conversation with an unnamed senior rabbi, the prime minister appeared to admit his firing of Gallant in November of last year, and Halevi’s resignation earlier this year, amounted to “enormous obstacles that we removed... to advance” a draft bill acceptable to the haredi factions in the coalition.
“You know, when the defense minister’s against you, and the chief of staff is against you, you cannot move – now we can move,” Netanyahu is heard saying.
“I have also talked personally about 20 times [with MK] Yuli Edelstein, who runs the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and I said: ‘Look, I’m personally taking charge of this.’”
PMO slams Halevi and Gallant
In a later statement, the Prime Minister’s Office asserted that it stood by its decision to remove Halevi and Gallant.
“As is clearly heard in the recordings – without the distorted interpretation of Channel 13’s ‘analysts’ – the prime minister notes that it was the previous chief of staff and defense minister who prevented the establishment of the dedicated units for haredi service,” the statement read.
“In contrast, the current defense minister and chief of staff are advancing the issue rapidly and professionally – and we are proud of that.”
In the recording, Netanyahu further implied that Gallant and Halevi interfered in the IDF’s ability to accept haredi men into military service.
“Look, there are people who are trying to undermine us. I came from the army now. The army is doing exactly what we asked them to do now, they’re creating the ability to receive haredim and hold a haredi lifestyle in the army.”
Gallant commented on Channel 13’s report, saying he is “proud to have stood by the principle by which everyone must take part in the mission of defending our nation. The need to enlist every young man of military age is essential to maintaining Israel’s security,” he wrote on X/Twitter.
אני גאה בכך שעמדתי על העיקרון לפיו כולם צריכים לקחת חלק במשימת ההגנה על הארץ. על מנת לקיים את מדינת ישראל, אנו זקוקים לצבא חזק ונחוש. הצורך לגייס לצה״ל כל צעיר בגיל גיוס, חיוני כדי לקיים את ביטחון ישראל - כולם חייבים להתגייס: חילונים, דתיים וחרדים, כולם.
— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) June 4, 2025
Opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed Netanyahu and said the prime minister was willing to sacrifice the country for his political gain.
“A question that should trouble the sleep of every Israeli tonight: What else is Netanyahu willing to do for the sake of evasion and politics while the State of Israel is fighting for its life?”