Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival until world’s attention was focused on the U.S. presidential election.

There have been regular rumours that he was on the way out but he refused to go, remaining a thorn in Netanyahu's side as he argued for a hostage deal in Gaza and clashed with other parties in the coalition over drafting members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community into the military.