Sa'ar, Shasha-Biton quit Netanyahu government amid political rift

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
25 Mar 2024 20:44

The Israeli occupation Member of Knesset Gideon Sa'ar has repeatedly threatened to quit if he wasn’t added to the War Cabinet.

Member of Knesset Gideon Sa'ar in "Tel Aviv", occupied Palestine, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP)

New Hope leader MK Gideon Sa’ar announced that he was leaving the government at a press conference on Monday evening, a few weeks after he threatened to do so if he wasn’t added to the War Cabinet, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Sa’ar stressed that he and his party tried to get the government to change its approach to the war, accusing the government of dragging it out.

Announcing the resignation of another Minister, Sa'ar said, as reported by Ynet, "I cannot bear responsibility as long as I have no practical possibility to influence the policy. We did not come to the government to warm chairs. Therefore, with a heavy but whole heart, I announced my intention to resign from the government and signed a letter of resignation to the Prime Minister. This is what Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton did as well."

Shasha-Biton has yet to confirm her resignation.

Israeli media reported earlier that Member of Knesset Gideon Sa'ar, representing the "National Right" party, has rejected an offer to occasionally be invited as a guest to the Israeli War Cabinet, similar to other ministers.

According to reports, Sa'ar has threatened that if a solution was not reached within the next 24 hours, he would likely resign from Netanyahu's government.

Officials in the Likud party stated that the current proposal was offered to Sa'ar because any other solution could complicate the situation with other partners, such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, as this proposal was acceptable to both of them.

The official Israeli broadcasting authority mentioned that Sa'ar does not have a problem with Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entering the War Cabinet alongside Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. It further noted that their entry into the War Cabinet would lead to the immediate withdrawal of Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot. Netanyahu would have to choose between Sa'ar and Gantz within the coming hours.

Netanyahu eyes dissolving war cabinet

Earlier in March, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu was considering the possibility of abolishing the war cabinet and referring decisions to an expanded coalition government.

Israeli authorities consolidated a crucial decision-making process in a five-member council that includes Netanyahu, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, the "National Unity" leaders Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot, and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, dubbed the war cabinet.

Although Gantz and Eizenkot, among other popular Israeli politicians, constituted a major part of the Israeli opposition to the larger coalition government, the leaders of the "National Unity" movement put their differences with Netanyahu aside and joined efforts to launch the genocidal aggression on the Gaza Strip.

However, the war cabinet has been plagued with squabbles on multiple strategic and in-house disputes, the latest of which was Gantz's unauthorized visit to the US and other Western countries.