Israeli Cabinet Tensions Explode Amidst Ongoing Conflict

Divisions and disagreements within the Israeli cabinet over the conduct and priorities of the war against Hamas have been simmering since the onset of the crisis. Now, they have boiled over, revealing a new level of public vitriol and an ultimatum from one of the three members of the war cabinet as the seven-month-long conflict potentially enters a new phase.

On Saturday, Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, who joined the war cabinet after Hamas' attack in October, demanded the adoption of a six-point plan by June 8. This plan aims to secure the return of Israeli hostages, demobilize Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip. 

Gantz's plan also proposes the creation of an alternative government for Gaza, “an American-European-Arab-Palestinian administration” to establish a future governance model that excludes Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, it would ensure the return of residents displaced by attacks from Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, and introduce measures to draft ultra-orthodox Jews into the military, a contentious issue for the religious right in the Israeli cabinet.

In a direct swipe at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz, a leading contender to become Israel's next leader, accused him of allowing “personal and political considerations to penetrate the holy of holies of Israel’s security.” He warned, “If you choose to lead the nation into the abyss, we will withdraw from the government, turn to the people, and form a government that can bring about a real victory.”

Gantz emphasized that “unity cannot be a fig leaf for stagnation in the management of the campaign.” Within hours, the accusations were flying, laying bare the fissures in Israeli politics and the personal animosities that pervade the government.

The prime minister’s office responded swiftly. “The conditions set by Benny Gantz are washed-up words whose meaning is clear: the end of the war and a defeat for Israel, the abandonment of most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact, and the establishment of a Palestinian state,” it said in a statement.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right cabinet member, called Gantz “a small leader and big trickster,” accusing him of trying to dismantle the government from the moment he joined. Ben Gvir added, “Whoever offered the ultra-Orthodox agreements on a conscription law in exchange for the dissolution of the government and now chants slogans about responsibility is a hypocrite and a liar.”

From a different perspective, opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Gantz to act now. “Enough with the press conferences, enough with the empty ultimatums, get out! If you weren’t sitting in the government, we would already be in the post-Netanyahu and Ben Gvir era,” he said.

Gantz's broadside did not come in isolation. Last week, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the third member of the war cabinet, spoke of decisions that should have been made at the start of the war. He stated, “I will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military rule in Gaza. Israel must not establish civilian rule in Gaza.”

Illusion of Unity Shattered:

Against this backdrop of internal strife, Israeli troops continue to fight in Gaza, unsure of how their mission will end and what plan exists for the day after the conflict. Gantz referenced this, saying, “While the Israeli soldiers show supreme bravery on the front, some of the people who sent them into battle behave with cowardice and irresponsibility.”

Israeli commentators noted Sunday that the illusion of unity within the cabinet fostered in the early phase of the conflict had been shattered. The Jerusalem Post remarked that for the first time, “Gantz publicly accused the prime minister of prioritizing his political survival over the nation’s interests” and set a clear deadline for remaining in the government.

Writing in Haaretz, Anshel Pfeffer observed that Gantz’s speech recycled the numerous leaks about divisions within the war cabinet over the past few months. Pfeffer, author of the unauthorized biography “Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu,” highlighted that “of the three war cabinet members, two have now publicly accused the third member, Netanyahu, of not having a strategy for a war that has been ongoing for seven and a half months.”

Despite the political turmoil, analysts suggest the status quo may persist. For Netanyahu, the presence of Gantz and Gallant in the war cabinet offers protection from the right-wing members of the larger cabinet, some of whom advocate for rebuilding settlements in Gaza and a more aggressive approach in the north. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who wants the Israeli military to take control of Gaza after Hamas is eliminated, also called for Israeli forces to establish a security zone in southern Lebanon if Hezbollah rocket attacks continue.

On Saturday night, Gantz addressed Netanyahu directly: “I look into your eyes tonight and I tell you - the choice is in your hands.” He declared that the moment of truth had arrived.

Over the next three weeks, compromise may yet keep the war cabinet intact. Gantz’s potential withdrawal from the war cabinet, however, would not automatically trigger a collapse of Netanyahu’s government but would leave the prime minister more exposed to the demands of the far-right members of his cabinet.

This political upheaval comes amid daily protests in Israel, with demonstrators calling for immediate elections, prioritizing the release of hostages, and demanding an end to further humanitarian aid to Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its operations in northern, central, and southern Gaza, preparing for what may be the toughest phase of the campaign to date.