Israeli media, officials, react to Gantz, Eisenkot's resignations
3 Min Read
Amid a series of serious resignations, Israeli media and officials have highlighted the failure of Netanyahu's government, calling for the formation of a new one.
-
Gadi Eisenkot, left, Benny Gantz, right, sit together for Eisenkot's announcement of his election bid and their alliance in Ramat Gan, occupied Palestine, Sunday, August 14, 2022. (AP)
Israeli media and Israeli officials commented on the resignations of ministers Gadi Eisenkot and Benny Gantz from the war cabinet.
In detail, Amit Segal, Israeli Chanel 12's political affairs correspondent, said "Gantz claimed that we would never go back to what preceded October 7, but the political lines went back to exactly that because what happened tonight was a big step backward."
In turn, another political affairs correspondent at Channel 12, Amnon Abramovich, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjmain Netanyahu "preferred National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalzel Smotrich to guarantee his seat and position, at the expense of Israeli's security."
Israeli media further noted that Netanyahu wanted to politically benefit from the happiness stemming from the return of the captives, but could not.
The head of the Israeli Labor Party, Yair Golan, affirmed that "Gantz and the government's boot camp are directly responsible for the current state in Israel."
In turn, the head of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, welcomed Gantz's resignation, describing the war cabinet as a "government of failure". He said the decision to resign was "important and right," and called for the formation of a new government.
Meanwhile, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, also welcomed the resignations, saying it was "Better late than never... It is time for a Zionist government."
Ben Gvir and Smotrich give their two cents
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.
Smotrich, on the other hand, said that Gantz's resignation "achieved what Sinwar, Nasrallah, and Iran want," adding, "There is nothing less responsible than resigning from the government during war, at a time when threats are increasing in the north, while hostages are still held in Hamas' tunnels, and tens of thousands of displaced Israelis expect us to unite and put them in the middle."
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 its 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.
