ISRAEL’S POLITICAL CRISIS DEEPENS
The MED This Week newsletter provides informed insights on the most significant developments in the MENA region, bringing together unique opinions and reliable foresight on future scenarios. Today, we shed light on the current Israeli domestic situation after Benny Gantz’s resignation.
On Sunday, June 9, in a press conference, minister and member of Israel’s war cabinet Benny Gantz announced his resignation from the emergency unity government, formed after the October 7 attack. The press conference, originally scheduled for the previous day but postponed due to the rescue of four hostages (an operation resulting in over 270 Palestinian casualties), coincided with the deadline Gantz had set a month earlier for Netanyahu to accomplish a series of demands, including presenting a post-war plan for Gaza. As Netanyahu refused to meet these demands, Gantz decided to quit the coalition and the war cabinet leading to the dissolution of the unity government. Gantz’s resignation is likely to further undermine Netanyahu’s credibility both domestically and internationally. Domestically, although Netanyahu’s majority in the Knesset remains stable, he now faces opposition solely from his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies, who are likely to pressure him for an even more assertive stance in the conflict. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s proposal to join the War Cabinet reflects the desire of the more extremist factions of the government to gain greater influence over war-related decisions, though this is unlikely to happen. With the resignations of Gantz and subsequently of Gadi Eisenkot, the War Cabinet, which Gantz had insisted on to prevent far-right ministers from gaining more power in war matters, is likely to be dissolved. Furthermore, Gantz’s decision is expected to intensify anti-government protests, with demonstrators calling for new elections and a solution to the hostages situation. Internationally, Gantz’s resignation increases the pressure on Netanyahu, particularly from the United States. The Biden Administration, which has favoured Gantz as an interlocutor, is likely to intensify its demands on Netanyahu, focusing on reaching a deal with Hamas to end the war as soon as possible. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, settlers persist in escalating their attacks on Palestinians, disregarding European and American sanctions.
Experts from the ISPI network discuss the current Israeli domestic situation.
