Gantz, Eisenkot quit Netanyahu's War Cabinet, Ben-Gvir wants in
4 Min Read
The Israeli War Cabinet loses two members amid row over inaction and failure in Gaza.
-
Israeli War Cabinet Benny Gantz he leaves after announcing his resignation in Ramat Gan, occupied Palestine, June 9, 2024. (AP)
Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz announced Sunday in a televised address his resignation from the Israeli war cabinet, calling it a painful decision.
"Leaving the government is a complex and painful decision," he said. However, he rescinded his sorrow by underlining that the Israeli regime was dealing hesitantly with existential issues based on the political interests of a few.
Gantz also acknowledged the failure to secure the release of Israeli captives from Gaza. He emphasized that "true victory prioritizes the return of hostages over political considerations."
Highlighting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's role in obstructing a genuine victory, Gantz admitted that "there will be no quick and easy victory," and warned that "the war will continue for years."
Regarding the situation in the northern settlements of occupied Palestine, where confrontations with Hezbollah persist, Gantz called for the return of settlers to the region and the establishment of a regional alliance.
Addressing Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant directly, Gantz urged him to "be brave and do what needs to be done," implying that Gallant should resign from the government.
Not the time, Gantz
Netanyahu swiftly responded to Gantz, urging him to reconsider and telling him that this was not the time to "abandon the battle".
"Benny, this is not the time to abandon the battle – this is the time to join forces," Netanyahu said in a post on social media platform X.
Despite the huge setback and the blatant declaration from Gantz that "Israel" was being met with failure in Gaza, Netanyahu went on to stress that the Zionist regime would continue in the onslaught.
"We will continue until victory and the achievement of all the goals of the war, primarily the release of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas," he said.
Many of the cadres surrounding Gantz had accused Netanyahu that he was showing a lack of effort to stave off the collapse of the emergency unity government.
The State Camp alliance, headed by Gantz, convened on Thursday to deliberate on the prospect of exiting the emergency government, in line with Gantz's recent declaration of his intent to resign, should his stipulations regarding the war, negotiations, and future course remain unaddressed.
According to reports from Israeli media outlets, "Netanyahu is anticipated to suggest to Gideon Sa’ar that he take over Gantz's position in the war cabinet. Should Sa’ar decline, Netanyahu is contemplating dismantling the slimmed-down cabinet entirely."
Ben-Gvir wants in
In response to Gantz's resignation from the government, Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Netanyahu to include him in the cabinet. Ben-Gvir criticized the current cabinet, stating, "The concept cabinet has brought Israel to this point by sidelining senior ministers in the government. Enough is enough."
Ben-Gvir argued that with the resignation of the ministers aligned with the current concept, there is no longer any justification for excluding key partners and senior ministers. He emphasized that these partners had warned in real time about the flaws in the prevailing approach, which is now widely recognized as misguided.
"Therefore, I call for my inclusion in the government to be a partner in shaping Israel's security policy," Ben-Gvir asserted.
Eisenkot joins Gantz
War cabinet member and former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot announced his resignation minutes after Gantz did, also citing its inaction.
"Despite my and my colleagues' efforts, the War Cabinet has been for a long time refusing to take the required decisions to achieve the war's goals," he stressed.
"We have lately seen that the decisions being taken by the cabinet and Netanyahu do not essentially stem from national considerations," Eisenkot added.
It was expected that Eisenkot would resign alongside Gantz after a cabinet meeting on Friday night, but the meeting itself was canceled. Following the cancellation, the State Camp alliance convened a meeting of its parliamentary bloc to discuss the timing of their withdrawal from the war cabinet.
In his previous address, Gantz urged the formulation of a comprehensive strategy to achieve six key objectives: The repatriation of detainees, the elimination of Hamas, the disarmament of the Gaza Strip, the establishment of a viable governance structure in Gaza, the relocation of settlers from northern areas by September 1, the advancement of the normalization process, and the implementation of reforms in "Israel's" military service, according to Makan.
