Netanyahu reinstates Gallant, blames last coalition for cross-border attacks, terror

Facing dire polls and growing public anger and anxiety over a wave of attacks on multiple fronts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday the permanent reinstatement of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whom he fired two weeks ago for publicly calling to freeze his plans to overhaul the judicial system.

Netanyahu, in a speech to the nation, also blamed the opposition and the previous government for recent violence that has included rocket fire from Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, and a series of deadly Palestinian terrorist attacks.

His predecessors Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid denounced his claims, with Bennett calling his speech shameful and Lapid telling him to “take responsibility.” READ MORE