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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defence Minister Yoav Gallant from his government, more than a year into the Israel-Gaza war, exposing tension at the heart of the country's leadership.
"Significant gaps were discovered between me and Gallant in the management of the campaign," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday night.
“These gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradict the decisions of the government and the decisions of the cabinet. In light of this, I decided today to terminate the term of office of the minister of defence."
Mr Netanyahu made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps without success, he claimed, describing a “crisis of trust” between himself and Mr Gallant. He said that most of the Israeli government – a coalition of right-wing and ultra-right wing parties – and the cabinet supported his decision to fire Mr Gallant.
Israel-Gaza war - in pictures
Differences between Mr Netanyahu's government and the defence establishment have emerged over the war strategy. Defence Ministry and military officials are widely believed to want a ceasefire deal in Gaza and Lebanon, whereas Mr Netanyahu and far-right wing members of his coalition government have pushed to continue the conflict.
The news drew swift condemnation from leading Israeli politicians. Benny Gantz, who used to sit in a war cabinet formed by Mr Netanyahu after October 7, said in a blunt message on X that the decision puts "politics at the expense of national security".
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the firing is "an act of madness" during the middle of a war, calling on "all Zionist patriots to take to the streets tonight in protest".
“Netanyahu fired Gallant now because once again, he's putting himself before the country,” Gershon Baskin, an Israeli former hostage negotiator, told The National.
The move comes at a crucial time in the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah war, as Israel is under increasing pressure from its allies to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip, where conditions are dire. It is also facing increasing international criticism over the rising death tolls and destruction in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel started a ground invasion against Hezbollah last month.
Immediately after Hamas’s October 7 attacks and Israel’s military operations in Gaza, Mr Gallant took a similar line to Mr Netanyahu on the intensity of the campaign to be conducted. He ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip, and said that, “We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly."
In May this year, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor said he was seeking the issuance of an arrest warrant for Mr Gallant, alongside Mr Netanyahu and senior Hamas leaders, for alleged war crimes.
Mr Netanyahu has asked current Foreign Minister Israel Katz to take up the defence portfolio. Gideon Saar, a minister without portfolio, is to take Mr Katz's post. Israeli political observers consider Mr Katz to be loyal to Mr Netanyahu and unwilling to challenge his positions.
In recent months, Mr Gallant’s views on the war appear to have diverged from Mr Netanyahu’s. He had been pushing for Gaza to be returned to Palestinian rule without Hamas and in May publicly criticised Mr Netanyahu for refusing to deal with governance in the enclave when the war ends.
One of the main issues that led to Mr Gallant’s dismissal is Mr Netanyahu’s reluctance to make it mandatory for ultra-Orthodox Jews to serve in the Israeli military, political observers said. The community had exemptions from serving, in a status quo opposed by much of Israeli society and defence officials including Mr Gallant, who say Israel needs more men to fight in the war.
A Supreme Court decision in June opened the way for ultra-Orthodox members to be drafted. But far-right members of Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet, on whom he relies for his political survival, oppose the move.
The issue of drafting the ultra-Orthodox into the army has “reached its peak,” said Mr Gershon, who helped to arrange the release of Gilad Shalit after he was abducted in Gaza in 2006. “Gallant instructed the army to issue 7,000 draft notices to young ultra-Orthodox people who are eligible for draft. And Netanyahu wants to preserve his coalition, which is dependent upon the ultra-Orthodox, and writing a law that would exempt the ultra-Orthodox from being drafted. This is, once again, the irresponsibility of Netanyahu.”
Israeli strikes on Lebanon continue - in pictures
Mr Gallant is also thought to have been viewed by the US administration of President Joe Biden as a more reliable partner than Mr Netanyahu in Israel. Mr Gallant regularly held his own conversations with high-level US officials.
Reports emerged in Hebrew media in October that Mr Netanyahu blocked a planned trip by Mr Gallant to the US to discuss defence issues, amid a growing rift between Mr Biden and the Israeli leader.
The dismissal also follows a scandal that has enveloped Mr Netanyahu’s office, involving the arrest of people working for him over leaks of confidential documents to the media.
Israeli society is also increasingly angered by Mr Netanyahu’s failure to come to an agreement for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, where 101 Israelis are held by Hamas. Protests broke out in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem after the announcement of Mr Gallant's firing.
A group representing hostages’ families said it expressed, “deep concern” about Mr Netanyahu's decision to dismiss Mr Gallant, and how this sudden change could affect the fate of the hostages still held in Gaza.
“We expect the incoming Defence Minister, Israel Katz, to prioritise a hostage deal and work closely with mediators and the international community to secure the immediate release of all hostages,” the group said in a statement. “Our future as a society depends on the return of all hostages and the end of this war.”
Mr Netanyahu tried to fire Mr Gallant in 2023, before the Gaza war, amid bitter protests over the Prime Minister's push to pass widespread judicial reforms that critics said would end democracy in Israel.
Mr Gallant eventually spoke out against the policy, drawing particular attention to how the mass protest movement was dividing Israeli society and undermining the country's security.
He was appointed Defence Minister in 2022, having previously served as the minister for construction, and for education.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets