The resignation of Netanyahu's long-time rival, Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, led to the collapse of this small, temporary, emergency coalition of Zionists.
The war cabinet was formed following Hamas's surprise operation on October 7, called " Operation Al-Aqsa Storm," initiated by Gantz and welcomed by Netanyahu. Gantz aimed to reduce the influence of Netanyahu's far-right allies in war administration, while Netanyahu accepted to weaken his political opponents' voices during the war.
Besides Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, another former Israeli military chief, joined the war cabinet in the first week of the Gaza war to show bipartisan support for the government's decisions on the conflict. The six-member war cabinet included Netanyahu, Gantz, Eisenkot, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. Gantz and two others had voting rights, while the other three were observers.
Netanyahu's initial goals for the assault on Gaza were the "complete destruction of Hamas" and the "release of Israeli captives." However, eight months later, the attack has resulted in the deaths of 36,000 Palestinians, including women, children, and the elderly, and the destruction of Gaza, with no significant achievements for Tel Aviv.
Massacres are never victories, and Israel is now facing the immediate consequences of genocide: expanded fronts against Israel, the collapse of the deterrence myth, the end of normalization dreams, an unprecedented wave of international condemnation, and international court rulings against Tel Aviv.
An old saying goes, "Defeat is an orphan," and Israel's failure in the “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” and the prolonged Gaza war has one prime suspect: Benjamin Netanyahu. For months, he has faced protests and demands for a ceasefire and early elections from families of Israeli captives and other residents of the occupied territories, which essentially means his removal.
A month ago, Gantz blamed Netanyahu for the war's failure and presented a six-point, often impossible, set of conditions, giving the prime minister several weeks to comply. These included returning Israeli captives, ending Hamas's rule, disarming Gaza, forming an interim international civil administration for Gaza, normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, and making military service mandatory for all Israelis, including Orthodox Jews. This move indicated Gantz's intent to portray Netanyahu as the sole culprit of the Gaza war. Observers believe Gantz made two smart moves in the past eight months: Joining the war cabinet to project a national image that prioritizes Israel's interests over partisan power struggles and exiting the war cabinet to hold Netanyahu accountable for war failures and international legal repercussions. These moves have boosted his popularity among the Israeli public and signaled favor to Washington for future elections. But will Gantz's resignation and the war cabinet's collapse harm Netanyahu?
Netanyahu: Winner or loser of the war cabinet's dissolution?
Wizard is one of Netanyahu's nicknames among Israeli residents and politicians, both supporters and opponents. This nickname was more common before Hamas's surprise attack, as there was a general belief that Netanyahu could turn even the worst situations to his advantage. After the Gaza war, this term gained a new meaning: Netanyahu could make conditions even worse for his own benefit!
Following Gantz's departure, Netanyahu faced a controversial proposal: Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his extreme views, asked Netanyahu to open the war cabinet doors to him and give him Gantz's voting rights. Instead, the prime minister decided to end the war cabinet and announced that decisions about the battle would now be made in smaller, more restricted groups. Netanyahu will decide the composition of these groups, which might not include Ben-Gvir or could involve consulting a rabbi. Whatever the case, the advisory groups will be more uniform, giving Netanyahu more freedom in decision-making. The war continues both in Gaza and among Israeli leaders.
NOURNEWS