Gantz warns of 'Israeli civil war,' holds Netanyahu responsible
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The remarks of the resigned member of the Israeli war cabinet come after Justice Minister Yariv Levin appeared to reintroduce the government’s suspended judicial overhaul agenda.
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Benny Gantz, a member of "Israel's" three-member War Cabinet, announces his resignation in a statement in Ramat Gan, on Sunday, June 9, 2024 (AP)
Benny Gantz, leader of "Israel's" State Camp party and a resigned member of the war cabinet, held Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for the events of 2023.
"You know how we got there, and you must not allow [Justice Minister] Yariv Levin and [Police Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir to carry out this nonsense regarding the judicial coup," he said, addressing Netanyahu.
In an interview for the Israeli Channel 12, Gantz warned of the potential of an "Israeli civil war," saying, "We are on the brink of shifting from a war against Israel’s enemies to a civil war."
"We did not fight a war for survival only to return to internal division," Gantz said on Friday, adding, "If you continue on this path, the next disaster will only be a matter of time."
Israeli government deliberating proposal to dismiss Attorney General
Senior coalition partners of Netanyahu convened on Sunday to deliberate on advancing a contentious proposal to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, The Times of Israel reported.
The discussions also addressed the potential revival of the government's divisive judicial overhaul plan, which was paused following the start of the war on Gaza on October 7 of last year.
According to reports from Israeli media, although there was considerable support among coalition leaders for these moves, final decisions were deferred due to demands from ultra-Orthodox parties who insisted that the coalition first pass legislation securing legal exemptions from military service for their constituents.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for later this week, potentially as early as Monday, according to Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. During this meeting, a draft of the new enlistment legislation is expected to be presented to coalition leaders.
Sunday’s meeting marked the government’s most significant step so far toward potentially dismissing Baharav-Miara, a move considered unprecedented.
The meeting followed remarks by Justice Minister Yariv Levin on Saturday night, which appeared to reintroduce the government’s suspended judicial overhaul agenda.
While no formal announcement preceded Sunday’s meeting, Ben-Gvir confirmed on Saturday night that coalition leaders were set to engage in an “important discussion”.
“This is the time to send the attorney general home. We have a rare opportunity now and I hope everyone will be on board,” Ben-Gvir, who has repeatedly clashed with Baharav-Miara and has long advocated for her removal, citing her rejection of sweeping government initiatives she has deemed unconstitutional or illegal.
After Sunday’s meeting, Ben-Gvir expressed gratitude to his coalition partners for “broad agreement on my demand to dismiss the attorney general.”
“In the follow-up meeting tomorrow, I will ensure that the decision to begin the process will be brought to the government meeting this coming Sunday,” he stated.
Other lawmakers have similarly advocated for Baharav-Miara’s dismissal. Last month, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi revealed that 13 cabinet ministers had signed a letter endorsing her removal.
Levin threatens with acts 'to restore' government powers
Levin was the main catalyst behind last year’s judicial overhaul proposals, which ignited widespread protests across "Israel" and were largely put on hold following October 7, 2023.
In recent weeks, tensions have reignited between Levin and the judiciary over his refusal to convene the Judicial Selection Committee to confirm Justice Isaac Amit as Supreme Court president.
In response to a court order mandating a vote by January 16, Levin accused the High Court of Justice on Saturday of encroaching on the Knesset’s legislative authority and the government’s executive powers.
Under these circumstances, he asserted, the government has “no choice at this time but to act in order to restore its powers,” adding, “They left us no choice. It cannot continue like this. We too have rights.”
While Levin did not specify the next steps, several Israeli media outlets interpreted his remarks as signaling an intention to expedite the coalition’s bill to alter the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee.
Reacting to these developments, opposition Leader Yair Lapid accused Levin of “endangering the State of Israel” with “Netanyahu’s full backing.”
“Those responsible for the October 7 failure… are trying again to crush the court, the Knesset and our democracy,” he said.
“We will not allow the government of destruction to dismantle Israel and turn us into an undemocratic state. We will struggle in the streets, we will struggle in the Knesset, we will struggle in the legal arena. We will not allow them to bring another disaster upon us.”
