Israeli War Minister Benny Gantz has left the emergency government, a sign of growing division over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s post-conflict plans for Gaza.
Speaking at a news conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday where he announced his resignation, Gantz said the decision was made with “a heavy heart.”
“Unfortunately, Mr. Netanyahu is preventing us from getting closer to a real victory, which justifies the current painful crisis,” he said.
Seen by some as a potential challenger for power in Israel, Mr. Gantz called on Mr. Netanyahu to set a date for elections.
Mr. Netanyahu responded with a message on X: “Benny, now is not the time to leave the campaign, it is the time to join forces. »
Opposition leader Yair Lapid supported Gantz’s decision as “important and right” on social media.
Immediately after the announcement, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded a place in the war cabinet.
Mr. Ben-Gvir is part of a right-wing coalition that threatened to resign and bring down the government if Israel accepts a ceasefire proposal presented by US President Joe Biden.
Last month, Mr. Gantz set a deadline of June 8 for Mr Netanyahu to explain how Israel will achieve its six “strategic objectives”, including ending Hamas rule in Gaza and establishing a multinational civilian administration for the territory.
The Prime Minister then rejected these remarks, calling them “failed words” which would mean “the defeat of Israel”.
A retired army general and frequent critic of Mr Netayanhu, Mr Gantz had been a member of Israel’s key decision-making “war cabinet”, alongside Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
At the press conference, Gantz said he was not only personally resigning from the government, but also withdrawing from the National Unity Party he chairs.
The move will not topple Israel’s government, as Mr. Netanyahu will still hold a comfortable 64-vote majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
However, it further isolates the prime minister and lays bare deep political divisions over how he is waging the war.
A political rival of Benjamin Netanyahu and former IDF chief of staff, Mr. Gantz’s centrist National Unity party was in opposition until October 11, 2023, when, after the start of the war following the attacks of Hamas on October 7, he agreed to form an emergency government with Mr. Netanyahu.
National Unity occupies five positions in the emergency government.
Mr Gantz’s influence in the government was widely seen as a counterweight to that of far-right members of Mr Netanyahu’s coalition.
