With the departure of these two centrist figures, the emergency and unity government finds itself deprived – in addition to two generals – of its most moderate voices, raising fears of a headlong rush without any further safeguards. The presence of Benny Gantz helped to consolidate international support for Israel, which has now been undermined in the diplomatic and jurisdictional scenes as well as in world public opinion.
Ceasefire to be imposed
The war cabinet, which can make decisions relating to the conflict without requiring parliamentary approval from the Knesset, is now reduced to the trio of Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer (who only has an observer role), all three from Likud. Under pressure from his far-right partners who seek to impose a future Israeli military and civilian presence in Gaza and to expel the Palestinians, the Prime Minister can now only be contradicted by Yoav Gallant. In mid-May, he asked for guarantees that Israel would not regain control of the Gaza Strip after the war.
What governance in Gaza after the war?
The team could, however, become radicalized if the Minister of National Security and leader of the extremist Jewish Force party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, takes Mr. Gantz’s vacant seat, which he claimed after the latter’s resignation. A situation that is all the more worrying at a time when uncertainties still hover over the outcome of the war. Among these, intense skirmishes against Lebanese Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border still threaten to widen the conflict. As for American support, it is in full decline: President Joe Biden recently accused Benjamin Netanyahu of maintaining hostilities for personal ends, while Washington obtained the support of the UN Security Council on Monday ( 14 votes in favor and abstention from Russia) to his ceasefire plan, which he has been trying to impose on the belligerents since the end of May.
Split majority
Behind the resignation of Benny Gantz, there are also electoral pretensions. The one whose formation has often been on par with Netanyahu’s Likud in multiple general elections since 2019, proposed a few weeks ago that a new vote be held next fall. And this, before the internal dissensions that appeared since October 7 broke up the majority. Mr. Gantz also justified his decision by denouncing the political considerations which, according to him, interfere with the crucial strategic decisions of the war cabinet, among others concerning the fate of the hundred hostages still detained.
An influential and respected personality but not very charismatic, Mr. Gantz has been profiling himself for years as the main candidate for the presidency of the government. By leaving the war cabinet after eight months of war, he marks a clear break and indicates a symbolic limit of the military operation against Hamas, beyond which it is no longer tenable to continue without a solid plan. for the future of Gaza.
Netanyahu and Hamas leaders sent back to back
