Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right Israeli national security minister, resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government today in protest of the ceasefire agreement and hostage exchange.
The resignations represent a significant blow to Netanyahu, who relied on Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit Party to maintain his fragile coalition government. Two other two ministers from the Otzma Yehudit Party, Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu, also tendered their resignations along with Ben-Gvir.
“A word is a word, we will not agree to a reckless deal. My friends in Otzma Yehudit and I submitted our resignation letters from the government and the coalition this morning,” Ben-Gvir posted on X today.
The minister had threatened to resign earlier this week, arguing that Netanyahu should “take steps” that would lead to the defeat of Hamas and the release of our hostages “without abandoning Israel’s security,” including completely stopping the transfer of humanitarian aid and fuel, electricity, and water to Gaza, along with continuing the military crushing of Hamas.
-On Sunday, Ben-Gvir also urged the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in resigning from the government. “Although you did not help me prevent the first stage of the surrender deal, at least help me prevent its second stage,” he posted on X, adding that “we will return together only if the Prime Minister orders the IDF to return to a decisive war with force.” Smotrich has so far not resigned from his post.
