Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the country’s war cabinet following the withdrawal of his main rival, Benny Gantz.
The six-member war cabinet will now be replaced by a “kitchen cabinet” that Netanyahu will be able to consult for advice on the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu had been under pressure from far-right ministers within his coalition cabinet who wanted to join the war cabinet, which could have triggered a new shift to the far right of Israeli politics.
What was the Israeli war cabinet?
The war cabinet was formed on October 11, after Israel declared war on Gaza in response to a Hamas-led attack on October 7.
The cabinet was created as a smaller body within the security cabinet, which was part of the broader coalition cabinet.
It was made up of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his main rival, former General Benny Gantz, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three observers: government ministers Aryeh Deri and Gadi Eisenkot and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
The war cabinet intended to make rapid decisions on the conduct of the war, which would then be sent for approval by the wider cabinet.
Did the war cabinet work well?
Not always.
It was said that disagreements and feuds abounded within the smaller body.
In January, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that opposition leader Yair Lapid had said at a party meeting that Gallant and Netanyahu were “no longer on speaking terms” and that war cabinet meetings had become “a shameful arena for settling scores.” , fights and discussions that lead nowhere”. .
Why was it discarded?
On June 9, Gantz and observer Eisenkot, both from the National Unity Party, left the war cabinet due to the lack of a plan for Gaza beyond the current attack.
Speaking on Sunday night, Netanyahu reportedly told the security cabinet: “There is no more war cabinet,” one member present told Israeli media.
“It’s part of the coalition agreement with Gantz, at his request. The moment Gantz left, there is no longer such a forum,” Netanyahu reportedly continued.
Gantz’s departure increased pressure on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who were lobbying to join the internal war cabinet.
In a letter to Netanyahu dated Thursday, Ben-Gvir wrote that the Israeli war had been “conducted in secret” over the past eight months through “limited forums that change their names and definitions in a cycle, all with the exclusive purpose of controlling decisions and avoiding the discussion of other positions that would challenge the old conception”.
Why are Ben-Gvir and Smotrich so problematic?
Ben-Gvir and Smotrich represent an ultra-Orthodox and far-right constituency within Israel’s increasingly right-wing politics. They are also closely associated with the settler movement, which seeks to build on what is Palestinian land under international law.
Both have already threatened to resign if Israel did not launch its current attack on the city of Rafah, in Gaza, which at the time was home to 1.5 million displaced people.
Both also threatened to resign if Netanyahu went ahead with the US-backed ceasefire agreement before calling Hamas “destroyed”.
Ben-Gvir and Smotrich also support the establishment of illegal settlements in Gaza, following the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians living there – a position that contrasts sharply with Israel’s official war policy.
Lastly, there is its international position, which is quite problematic.
None of Israel’s allies, including the US, are likely to engage with any of the politicians, fundamentally undermining any potential role within the war cabinet.
Can’t Netanyahu just ignore them?
In truth.
Given that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich’s parties hold a total of 14 seats in the Knesset – compared to, say, Gantz’s National Unity’s 12 – their withdrawal would lead to the collapse of the coalition cabinet and the end of Netanyahu’s term in office. .
And now?
The war cabinet’s role in determining the management of the conflict largely ended with Gantz’s withdrawal, so its formal dissolution is unlikely to make a big difference.
According to Netanyahu, the war cabinet will be replaced by a reduced kitchen cabinet, in which sensitive discussions and consultations can be conducted.
According to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the new body will include Gallant, Dermer and the head of the National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi.
This will also block Smotrich and Ben-Gvir’s attempts to join the corps.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
