The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has rejected Benny Gantz’s threat to leave the government, saying the ultimatum he laid out for the war plan against Hamas would harm Israel.
“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,” the office said in a statement.
The office also asked Gantz if he’s determined to eliminate the Hamas battalions, oppose the introduction of the Palestinian Authority into Gaza and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state – saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to all three.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu thinks that the emergency government is important for achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages, and expects Gantz to clarify his positions to the public on these issues,” according to the statement.
Remember: Gantz leaving the emergency war cabinet would not trigger a collapse of Netanyahu’s government, because he is not part of the coalition government. But his potential withdrawal would damage the image of wartime unity that Netanyahu has attempted to project throughout the war in Gaza.
Gantz responds: The war cabinet minister was quick to release a statement in response to Netanyahu’s office, saying the prime minister should not “drag his feet for fear of the extremists in his government.”
Gantz said Netanyahu would have “finished the mission” if he would have listened to Gantz and entered Rafah months ago.
This post has been updated with Gantz’s response to the Prime Minister’s Office.
