JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who had usually taken an impartial line towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right authorities allies, mentioned on Wednesday he was resigning from parliament.

Gallant was fired from the federal government in November by Netanyahu, after months of disagreements over the conduct of the battle towards Hamas in Gaza, however saved his seat as an elected member of the Knesset.

“Just as it is on the battlefield, so it is in public service. There are moments in which one must stop, assess and choose a direction in order to achieve the goals,” Gallant mentioned in a televised assertion.

Gallant had usually damaged ranks with Netanyahu and his coalition allies of far-right and non secular events, together with over exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jewish males from serving within the conscript army – a sizzling button challenge.

In March 2023, Netanyahu fired Gallant after he urged a halt to a extremely contested authorities plan to chop the Supreme Court docket’s powers. His dismissal triggered mass protests and Netanyahu backtracked.

The Worldwide Legal Court docket has issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu, together with a Hamas chief, for alleged battle crimes and crimes towards humanity within the Gaza battle, which Israel has contested.

(This story has been refiled to right the headline and say ‘parliament’ as an alternative of ‘ politics’)