Former general and Israeli war cabinet minister, Benny Gantz, announced this Sunday, June 9, 2024, his withdrawal from the emergency executive created by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, considering that this stands in the way of a “true victory.”
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“Netanyahu prevents us from moving towards a true victory. For this reason, today we abandon the Emergency Government, with a heavy heart, but with all our hearts,” Gantz said in an appearance, which should have been yesterday, but was postponed after the rescue of four hostages from Gaza in a bombing operation that caused the death of more than 270 Palestinians.
His departure has more symbolic than practical weight, since Netanyahu’s coalition maintains its majority of 64 seats in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), but puts more pressure on the prime minister, as Gantz is now one of the most valued political figures. in Israel and even leads most electoral polls.
About two weeks ago, Gantz gave June 8 as the deadline for his party to leave the War Cabinet if it failed to agree on a “comprehensive action plan” with six objectives: bring the hostages home, overthrow and demilitarize Hamas in Gaza, establish an alternative government in the Strip, ensure the return of residents on the northern border, and forge normalization relations.
Jewish Power, the far-right party of the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir announced today that he will vote again with Netanyahu’s coalition in parliament as long as “there is no reckless (truce) agreement on the table” and he offered to replace Gantz as a cabinet member.
Gantz, who before October 7 was on the opposition side, was the only leader to agree to Netanyahu’s request to form a wartime national unity government and won a position within the smaller War Cabinet than that of the Government and with voting rights, in which in addition to Netanyahu there is also the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant.
What did the Israeli prime minister say?
Minutes after Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz announced an expected resignation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reproached him for being “time to join forces” and not to abandon due to disagreements over the management of the war in Gaza.
“Israel is in an existential war on several fronts. Benny (Gantz) this is not the time to abandon the campaign, this is the time to join forces,” Netanyahu said on the social network X, in which he recalled that the offensive will continue until victory.
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Source: https://www.noticiascaracol.com/mundo/renuncia-benny-gantz-a-gabinete-de-guerra-de-israel-por-desacuerdos-con-benjamin-netanyahu-cb20
