This Israeli Minister Has Resigned From The War Cabinet Over Netanyahu’s Failure To Manage The War On Gaza
Benny Gantz, who is seen as Netanyahu’s main political rival, had joined Netanyahu’s emergency government in October 2023 as a show of unity.
Israeli minister Benny Gantz has announced his resignation from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency war government over Netanyahu’s post-war plan for Gaza.
On Sunday, June 9, Gantz, the former chief of staff of the Israeli military and the leader of the centrist National Unity party, resigned from Israel’s war cabinet, stating it was because Netanyahu had failed to present a concrete plan for how the Gaza Strip would be governed after the war.
"Regrettably, Netanyahu is preventing us from advancing toward true victory, which is the justification for the ongoing and painful cost [of war]. That is why we are leaving the emergency government today, with a heavy heart but with full confidence," Gantz said.
He said Netanyahu was procrastinating on fateful strategic decisions for his own political gain and called on Netanyahu to set a date for an election, saying “Do not let our people be torn apart.”
Gantz, who is seen as Netanyahu’s main political rival, had joined Netanyahu’s emergency government in October 2023 as a show of unity that helped to “boost Israel’s credibility with its international partners,” according to AP.
However, according to Israeli analysts, as the war dragged on with no clear end in sight, Gantz may have resigned because he was concerned staying in the cabinet would harm his popularity with Israeli voters.
Gantz's resignation had been expected since May, when he gave Netanyahu a deadline of June 8 to come up with a clear day-after strategy for Gaza.
Gantz had originally planned to announce his resignation on Saturday June 8 but pushed back his statement after the Israel forces massacred 274 Palestinians in a refugee camp in Gaza to retrieve four hostages, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu issued a brief statement calling on Gantz not to "abandon the front" saying it was the time for unity and not division.
However, Gantz’s departure will not endanger Netanyahu’s far-right coalition’s parliamentary majority, as his National Unity Party is not part of the coalition.
Analysts say the move could, however, “increase Netanyahu’s reliance on extremist, right-wing members of his government, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich,” according to AP.
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