Minister without portfolio as part of an expanded government after the October 7 attack, launched by Hamas and which sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, the leader of the National Union party (center right) had issued an ultimatum to Mr. Netanyahu on May 18. He demanded the adoption by the war cabinet of an “action plan” on the post-war issue in the Palestinian enclave. This former head of the Israeli army finally resigned on June 9, believing that Benjamin Netanyahu is preventing Israel “from moving towards real victory”.
“The war cabinet depended on an agreement with Gantz, at his request. His departure renders this agreement obsolete,” justified the Israeli Prime Minister.
After Benny Gantz’s step aside, Benjamin Netanyahu was asked by two of his far-right allies, the Ministers of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, and of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to join the war cabinet . Such an openness on the part of the Prime Minister would, however, have strained Israel’s international supporters, including the United States, a historic ally of the Jewish state.
During the cabinet meeting on Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu said that “to achieve our goal of removing all of Hamas’s capabilities, (he had) made decisions that the military echelon did not always consider acceptable.” “Our country has an army, and not the other way around,” however, underlined the strong man of Likud, the main party of the Israeli right.
Benny Gantz’s party, the National Union, called in early April for early legislative elections in September. Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival is the favorite to form a coalition in the event of the fall of the government. Israel’s next elections are currently set for 2026.
Winner of the legislative elections of November 1, 2022, Mr. Netanyahu took the head on December 29 of a government formed with far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. The latter threaten to break up the coalition if the Prime Minister were to make any concession to Hamas.
