Yoav Gallant (Hebrew: יוֹאָב גָּלַנְט‎; born 8 November 1958) is an Israeli politician and former military officer who served as minister of defense between 2022 and 2024.

[6] In 2011, Gallant was tapped to succeed Gabi Ashkenazi as the Chief of General Staff by Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Although his appointment was approved by the government[8][9] it was overturned due to allegations of building of an unauthorized access road to his home and planting an olive grove on public land outside the boundaries of his property.

Gallant preferred not to study during the two remaining years, and instead moved into the ground forces and in 1993 took up command of the Menashe Territorial Brigade of the Judea and Samaria Division.

[6] He also commanded the reserve 340th Armored Division (Idan Formation),[12] and in 2001 became the chief of staff of the GOC Army Headquarters.

[6] During his tenure (that lasted until 21 October 2010), Hamas launched the 25 June 2006 Gaza cross-border raid that resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers and the capture of a third, Gilad Shalit.

The IDF then launched Operation Summer Rains, that resulted in a decrease of Hamas rocket-fire for some time but failed to free Shalit.

"[20] Haaretz noted that Gallant lobbied against an investigation of Col. Ilan Malka, the IDF commander who approved the airstrike that killed 21 members of the al-Samouni clan during Cast Lead.

Gallant's view was ignored as the military prosecutor general opened an investigation of the incident which was highlighted by the Goldstone Report as a "possible serious breach of international law".

[21] On 22 August 2010 Minister of Defense Ehud Barak presented the candidacy of Gallant for the post of the IDF's twentieth chief of staff to the government.

[23] On 5 September 2010 the government approved the nomination of Gallant as the next chief of staff, with only Likud minister Michael Eitan objecting.

The PM added that Gallant picked up on a legacy of "dedication and excellence" bequeathed by incumbent IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi.

The cabinet also approved Barak's proposal, according to which Gallant would serve for three years, giving the defense minister power to grant a fourth.

The announcement came after months of scandal surrounding his appointment due to allegations that he had seized public lands near his home in Moshav Amikam.

After conducting an investigation into the allegations, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein said that his findings "raise significant legal difficulties for the decision to appoint him."

Earlier in the day, Weinstein notified Netanyahu that he could not defend Gallant's appointment as chief of staff due to legal impediments.

The decision did not address two other issues still being investigated by the state comptroller and attorney general: the building of an unauthorized access road to his house and the planting of an olive grove that spilled over the boundaries of his property.

[30] On 17 January 2021, reacting to a planned speech by the director-general of B'Tselem Hagai El-Ad at the Hebrew Reali School, Gallant, serving as the minister of education, published a directive to the Education Ministry to forbid all organizations whose causes contradict the Ministry's vision of the country as democratic, Jewish and Zionist, from entering schools.

He asked for the government to delay the proposed legislation to allow for negotiations between the ruling coalition and the opposition, which resulted in National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for Gallant's dismissal.

[36] Netanyahu announced on 26 March that he was dismissing Gallant, sparking massive protests that night in several major cities across Israel.

[55][56] On 20 September 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it was challenging the ICC jurisdiction and the legality of the arrest warrants.

Gallant said that his sacking was caused by his desire to see the quick return of Israeli hostages in Gaza and an inquiry into the 7 October attacks, whereas Netanyahu simply attributed it to a lack of trust between the two.

[66] One of the key allegations in the International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu was the "use of starvation as a weapon of war".

[77][78] Gallant announced his intention to resign from the Knesset on 1 January 2025 in opposition to the government's proposed draft law.