Ever-scheming Netanyahu left Sa'ar in the lurch and a sword hovering over Gallant's head

After the pagers attacks, the prime minister's replace Gallant was put on hold for 'national security' reasons - as if things were quiet beforehand ■ Netanyahu proved once again that the defense portfolio is nothing more than a political sop for him ■ In his Sa'ar quest to find a place back in the bosom of Netanyahu and the Likud, Gideon Sa'ar surrendered everything

As of the print deadline Thursday evening, it appears that the scheme to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and replace him with Gideon Sa'ar has been paused. It's a dramatic shift after it was reported Monday that the changing of the guard would take place in a matter of "hours," then "within a day" and after that "before the prime minister leaves for New York" (on Tuesday, for six days! including a luxury all-inclusive weekend, for a single speech to the United Nations General Assembly and a few fake meetings). The rationale: the escalation in the north and the pager and two-way radio explosions that have brought the region closer to a wider war with Hezbollah whose trajectory cannot be predicted.

Clearly, this isn't the time to switch defense ministers..