Israeli PM dissolved his six-member war cabinet.
June 17, 2024 08:36 pm | Updated 08:36 pm IST - DD News
Netanyahu Photo: DD News
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his six-member war cabinet, a widely expected decision that follows the departure of centrist opposition leader Benny Gantz and his ally Gadi Eisenkot.
A government spokesman said the pre-existing security cabinet and the larger full cabinet would make decisions about the war with Hamas in Gaza. Since Mr Gantz quit eight days ago over what he said was the lack of strategy for the war, there have been calls from far-right ministers to take his place.
By dissolving the war cabinet, Mr Netanyahu avoids a tricky situation with his coalition partners and international allies. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that, as far as it was concerned, it would not affect the chain of command. Mr Gantz and Mr Eisenkot joined a national unity government with Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition days after the start of the war in October. The two former IDF chiefs of staff announced their resignations on 9 June, with Mr Gantz saying that the prime minister’s leadership was “preventing us from approaching true victory”. Immediately afterwards, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he had written to Mr Netanyahu to demand that he be added to the war cabinet.
On Sunday night, Mr Netanyahu informed ministers that he had decided to dissolve the decision-making body rather than bring in new members. “The prime minister said: ‘The war cabinet was in the coalition agreement with... Benny Gantz at his request. With Mr Gantz leaving the government, there is no more need for this extra branch of government," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told a briefing on Monday. "The security cabinet is granted authority by the state to make decisions together with the full cabinet,” he added. Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that some of the issues previously discussed by the war cabinet would be transferred for discussion in the 14-member security cabinet, which includes Mr Ben-Gvir and fellow far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. It said sensitive decisions would be addressed in a “smaller consultation forum”, which was expected to include Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and the chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Aryeh Deri. The three men were in the war cabinet along with the prime minister, Mr Gantz and Mr Eisenkot.
The IDF's chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, insisted on Monday that such moves would not affect its operations. "Cabinet members are being changed and the method is being changed. We have the echelon, we know the chain of command. We're working according to the chain of command. This is a democracy,” he told reporters. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. More than 37,340 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
A government spokesman said the pre-existing security cabinet and the larger full cabinet would make decisions about the war with Hamas in Gaza. Since Mr Gantz quit eight days ago over what he said was the lack of strategy for the war, there have been calls from far-right ministers to take his place.
By dissolving the war cabinet, Mr Netanyahu avoids a tricky situation with his coalition partners and international allies. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that, as far as it was concerned, it would not affect the chain of command. Mr Gantz and Mr Eisenkot joined a national unity government with Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition days after the start of the war in October. The two former IDF chiefs of staff announced their resignations on 9 June, with Mr Gantz saying that the prime minister’s leadership was “preventing us from approaching true victory”. Immediately afterwards, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he had written to Mr Netanyahu to demand that he be added to the war cabinet.
On Sunday night, Mr Netanyahu informed ministers that he had decided to dissolve the decision-making body rather than bring in new members. “The prime minister said: ‘The war cabinet was in the coalition agreement with... Benny Gantz at his request. With Mr Gantz leaving the government, there is no more need for this extra branch of government," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told a briefing on Monday. "The security cabinet is granted authority by the state to make decisions together with the full cabinet,” he added. Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that some of the issues previously discussed by the war cabinet would be transferred for discussion in the 14-member security cabinet, which includes Mr Ben-Gvir and fellow far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. It said sensitive decisions would be addressed in a “smaller consultation forum”, which was expected to include Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and the chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Aryeh Deri. The three men were in the war cabinet along with the prime minister, Mr Gantz and Mr Eisenkot.
The IDF's chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, insisted on Monday that such moves would not affect its operations. "Cabinet members are being changed and the method is being changed. We have the echelon, we know the chain of command. We're working according to the chain of command. This is a democracy,” he told reporters. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. More than 37,340 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.