A video clip has spread on social media of a gathering of Israeli police members, claiming that they are carrying out a military coup due to the dismissal of former occupation army minister Yoav Galant. The clip was accompanied by the following description: “Military coup due to the dismissal of Gallant.”
Kashf verified the claim and found it to be misleading. The video clip shows members of the Israeli occupation police heading to extinguish fires south of Ayalon Street during a protest demonstration following the dismissal of former Israeli occupation army minister Yoav Galant.
Haaretz correspondent Bar Peleg posted the video clip on his X account at dawn on Wednesday, 6/11/2024, with the following text: “Police officers in southern Ayalon are moving in a large group to put out fires with fire extinguishers, and behind them are hundreds of demonstrators. One of the demonstrators confronted a police officer who was wearing a face covering, contrary to the procedures followed in demonstrations.”
Journalist Peleg followed the circulated video with another video of police officers, accompanied by the following description: “Hundreds of demonstrators behind the police who are trying to put out the fires in Ayalon and chanting ‘Policeman, policeman, who are you guarding?’ And the police are not trying at all to clear the demonstrators from the road at this stage.”
The team specializing in Hebrew affairs at Kashef Observatory also searched the media and official Hebrew websites and found no mention of any military coup following the dismissal of Yoav Galant.
While Gallant confirmed in a press conference that the decision to dismiss him came due to disagreements over three issues: recruitment, the return of Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, and the third disagreement related to Gallant’s insistence on the formation of an official investigation body into what happened after 7/10/2023.
On Tuesday evening, 5/11/2024, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the dismissal of the Minister of the Israeli army, Yoav Gallant, saying that he did not trust his management of the ongoing military operations.
A number of mass demonstrations took place on Tuesday evening, 5/11/2024, in various parts of Israel in protest against Gallant’s dismissal. The demonstrators closed the main Ayalon Street for about 4 hours, and chanted slogans denouncing Netanyahu.
Thousands demonstrated in front of the Knesset building on Wednesday evening, 6/11/2024, and then headed to the home of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, also rejecting the dismissal of Gallant.
| Sources of verification | Sources of claim |
| Bar Peleg (1) Bar Peleg (2) Official Hebrew media and websites East Free Island Anatolia | Salah Aouak Mike Alyemeni Salah Aouak Mmed Chafi |