Ben-Gvir to Gantz: You are a 'smalltime leader, bigtime deceiver'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
18 May 2024 23:58
1 Shares

Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz faces heavy backlash after warning that he and his party would quit the government coalition.

Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attends the weekly cabinet meeting, on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, in occupied al-Quds. (AP)

Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz is facing backlash from members of the coalition following his June 8 ultimatum for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put together a plan for post-war Gaza, Israeli media reported.

Splits have recently emerged in the War Cabinet as the Palestinian Resistance continues to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli occupation forces in northern Gaza where the Israeli military previously claimed the group had been dismantled. Simultaneously, the families of Israeli captives still held by the Resistance in the Gaza Strip are growing impatient amid the government's failure to retrieve the captives either through diplomacy or militarily.

Gantz warned Saturday that he and his party would quit the government coalition unless Netanyahu approved the plan.

Following Gantz's televised address, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said that "there is no limit to the hypocrisy."

"For long months we’ve suffered the obsequious attitude of Gantz and his friends, the incessant march leftward," he indicated, suggesting that the War Cabinet minister prepones his deadline "to tomorrow" and quit the coalition.

"The war cabinet, which was formed for the sake of unity, has long since turned into a left-wing government and a means by which to weaken the prime minister and the elected right-wing government," Karhi argued.

On his part, Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also described Gantz as "a smalltime leader and a bigtime deceiver, who has from the first moment of joining the government occupied himself chiefly with trying to break it apart."

"He is the last person who can suggest security alternatives," he added.

Meanwhile, MK Ariel Kellner accused Gantz of "always undermining government policy to advance the same failed and defeatist policies you pushed for your entire life… You are welcome to leave the government and free us of your presence… We’ll go on without you."

Earlier, Gantz affirmed that "the war cabinet must formulate and approve by June 8 an action plan that will lead to the realisation of six strategic goals of national importance.. (or) we will be forced to resign from the government."

He mentioned that the six goals included "eliminating Hamas, ensuring Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, and returning Israeli captives" held by the Palestinian Resistance.

"Along with maintaining Israeli security control, establish an American, European, Arab and Palestinian administration that will manage civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip and lay the foundation for a future alternative that is not Hamas or (Mahmud) Abbas," Gantz explained, referring to the Palestinian President.

He also urged the normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia "as part of an overall move that will create an alliance" against Iran and its supporters.

Later, Netanyahu responded to Gantz's threat by slamming the minister's demands as "washed-up words whose meaning is clear: the end of the war and a defeat for Israel, the abandoning of most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact and the establishment of a Palestinian state."

The Israeli premier was also lambasted earlier in the week by his own Security Minister Yoav Gallant for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza after the war.

Gallant urged Netanyahu "to make a decision and declare that Israel will not establish civilian control over the Gaza strip."

But Netanyahu has rejected any role for the Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza, claiming on Thursday that it "supports terror, educates terror, finances terror."