To protect its future, Israel must listen to its Defence Minister, not its Prime Minister

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant broke ranks yesterday and publicly challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the conduct of his government.

Hardly a ‘dove’, Gallant’s position indicates broader dissatisfaction amongst Israelis with the current government’s vision, or lack thereof, for Israel’s exit plan from Gaza.

His barely-veiled view is held by much of the security establishment – Netanyahu is favouring his far-right coalition partners over Israel’s security interests.

The words not spoken in Gallant’s statement should be spoken: Israel needs to talk to the Palestinians. Now.

No-one gets to choose their ideal partners in the road to peace. While the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) remains the official representative in Palestinian rhetoric, in practice there are currently two different representatives for the Palestinians.