Former Defense Minister YOAV GALLANT (Part 2) - The Hostage Dilemma

Last month we published the first in a series of interviews with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, telling the story of the October 7th War from his unique vantage point. Our first interview, “Four Days in October,” focused on the intense deliberations that took place behind closed doors regarding the possibility of Israel responding to its stronger adversary first, Hezbollah in Lebanon, rather than Hamas in the Gaza Strip. If you have not heard or seen that interview, you can find it here.

For the second interview in our series with General Gallant, we focused on the most difficult aspect of this war - the hostages in Gaza and the efforts to bring them home.

Yoav Gallant served as Israel’s Defense Minister from 2022 until 2024. He was fired by Benjamin Netanyahu twice in those two years, first in 2023, when massive protests in Israel led Netanyahu to reverse his decision, then again in November of 2024. Gallant is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party. His military career spans five decades, beginning in 1977 as a naval commando in Shayetet 13, and serving as chief of the IDF’s Southern Command during Operation Cast Lead, an early war with Hamas that lasted from late 2008 to early 2009.

Watch the conversation on YouTube:

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Link to our previous interview with Yoav Gallant:

CREDITS:

ILAN BENATAR - Producer & Editor

MARTIN HUERGO - Sound Editor

YARDENA SCHWARTZ - Executive Editor of Ark Media

GABE SILVERSTEIN - Research Intern

YUVAL SEMO - Music Composer

AMIEL SHAPIRO - Voice Actor