In a blow to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz has called the press for this Saturday, and is expected to announce who is withdrawing from the coalition governmentafter a series of confrontations with the premier about how he is carrying out the offensive in the Gaza Strip, which turns eight months old this Friday.
The official announcement from his National Unity party (center-right) does not clarify the reason for the appearance, but the Israeli press and political analysts assume that the politician is going to withdraw his support for the emergency executive created by Netanyahu shortly after the attacks. of Hamas on October 7 for the management of the war.
Gantz, who before October 7 was on the opposition side, was the only leader to agree to Netanyahu’s request for form a government of national unity in times of war and he achieved a position within the smallest war cabinet, where he is one of the three members with voting rights, along with the prime minister himself and the head of Defense, Yoav Gallant.
The politician, who in the past was chief of the General Staff and Minister of Defense, issued an ultimatum to Netanyahu in mid-May: He would leave the cabinet if he did not announce a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip before June 8, something that has not happened.
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The former minister, like other figures in the military establishment and experts, as well as the United States, believe it is essential define how soon who would assume civil and government tasks in the Strip when the war is over, once Hamas has been defeated.
The Hebrew press published this Friday that Netanyahu and Gantz They held a meeting on Wednesday night, without agreements, and at this time there are also no contacts between their respective Likud and National Unity parties.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that the US government has attempted to convince Gantz to delay his planned departure amid ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas in Gaza.
The departure of Gantz’s party from the emergency government does not yet endanger the survival of Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing in the history of Israel, which maintains 64 seats in Parliament, as before the war.
However, Gantz’s political profile was greatly strengthened during the war and he still leads the electoral polls – although he has deflated in recent weeks – and his resignation is a symbolic blow for Netanyahu, even though the numbers are still on his side.
However, the government coalition faces other dangers: the far-right parties – Jewish Power and Religious Zionism – have threatened to abandon it if the truce agreement with Hamas is signed, since they consider it a concession to agree to the end of hostilities; while the ultra-Orthodox formations -Shas and United Torah Judaism- do annul the military exemption that for decades has allowed young Haredis who dedicate themselves to studying the Torah to avoid compulsory military service.
In both cases, the 14 seats that the nationalist extreme right has; like the 18 of the ultra-Orthodox, they are vital for the survival of Netanyahu’s government.
