Power struggle in the Israeli cabinet.
The abstention of Israeli cabinet members Yuval Galant and Benny Gantz from participating in a press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu has led Hebrew media to focus on the power struggle and differences between Israeli political leaders instead of analyzing the Gaza war.
Political analyst of the Kan network, “Michal Shemesh,” says about the root of the differences between Tel Aviv authorities, “In this sensitive week, a lot of tension has arisen among the cabinet members and the main subject of the differences and conflicts are the days after the Gaza war.”
The Israeli analyst explicitly states that “Netanyahu’s relationship with his defense minister has not been good since the beginning of the war.” He says that Gantz and Gantz rejected the Prime Minister’s invitation to participate in a joint press conference so that their empty seats would indicate a major disagreement.
Shemesh emphasized the opposition of some hardline ministers to end the war in Gaza, insisting that “Netanyahu will eventually be forced to choose between the strategy of Benny Gantz and the thinking of Buzal Smotrich.”
Since the beginning of Operation Guardian of the Walls by Hamas and Gantz joining the opposition parties to the cabinet to manage the war, some of Netanyahu’s ministers such as Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir had threatened to leave the government coalition if the attacks on Gaza were stopped.
Israeli protests against the warmongering policies of Smotrich.
Now, with 86 days passed since the war against Gaza and heavy casualties for the Israeli army, Hebrew media reports an increase in pressure on Netanyahu for a ceasefire and agreement with Hamas, and are busy analyzing post-war political developments.
Last night, Netanyahu’s office announced that Gantz and Gantz had been informed that they could not talk about the post-war phase at the cabinet meeting, as it “would cause a crisis in the coalition.”