Israel in Crisis

Israel in Crisis

Israel is in crisis as the cabinet dissolves but the war continues.

Prime Minister Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet, describing humanitarian ceasefires as unacceptable, but he has no plan for the day after other than continuing the war indefinitely.

The political scene in Israel appears increasingly turbulent, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the dissolution of the war cabinet, which had been in charge of military operations in Gaza for 9 months.

Netanyahu stated that the war cabinet, formed as part of an agreement with Benny Gantz, the centrist politician and leader of the Blue and White party, is no longer necessary following Gantz’s resignation a week ago. Netanyahu explained that henceforth, he will consult with a small group of ministers, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, for military operations.

It is unlikely that the dissolution of the war cabinet will have a significant impact on the conflict, but its political consequences could be more far-reaching. Netanyahu’s move was perceived as highly offensive by his right-wing coalition allies, who had complained after Gantz’s resignation that they had been sidelined from key decisions for months.

Since the start of the Gaza war in October, daily clashes have worsened, and tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese blue line have been displaced.

Is there a conflict between Netanyahu and the Israeli army?

The dissolution of the Israeli cabinet amid the crisis between the Prime Minister and the leaders of the armed forces is unfolding, as they announced tactical pauses in military operations in southern Gaza from 8 am to 7 pm yesterday to allow entry of food and aid to Gaza, currently facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

However, shortly after this announcement, Prime Minister Netanyahu criticized this decision as unacceptable, and Israeli television networks, citing Netanyahu, criticized the army, saying we have a country with an army, not an army with a country.

The Israeli army had announced that this cessation was coordinated with the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies to coincide with the Eid al-Adha holiday, one of the major holidays in the Islamic calendar.

This announcement was welcomed by many international observers who had been calling for a ceasefire for weeks, which quickly collapsed in the face of Hamas resistance and the Israeli government.

This morning, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UNRWA humanitarian agency, announced that despite tactical ceasefires, hostilities continue unabated in southern Gaza and Rafah.

Netanyahu against everyone.

On the domestic front, Prime Minister Netanyahu must also manage growing public discontent.

This week, anti-government protesters carried out a series of planned actions aimed at paralyzing the country’s roads and highways, forcing the government to resign and hold elections by the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

On June 17, thousands of Israelis marched along the Tel Aviv coast demanding the release of Gaza hostages and planned further protests in Jerusalem outside the Knesset for the coming days.

Andrei Kuzlov, a freed hostage rescued in last week’s Gaza operation, appealed to the Israeli public in a video speech to agree with Hamas for the remaining hostages in Gaza, emphasizing that the decision lies solely in an agreement between Israel and Hamas.

In Tel Aviv and in Qesarya, near Netanyahu’s personal residence, police removed banners hung by protesters and arrested some of the demonstrators, intervening violently in some cases to disperse the crowd.

Former minister Benny Gantz, who left Netanyahu’s coalition last week amid controversy over the fact that the prime minister has no strategy for the day after in the Gaza Strip, participated in a demonstration at a crossroads in the south of the country.

Without a perspective.

Gantz’s resignation, anti-government protests, and the next day’s topic are crucial for understanding the dilemma of Benjamin Netanyahu, as the Israeli prime minister refrains from presenting a plan for the future, as it necessarily involves addressing the situation in the Gaza Strip.

For clear reasons, Israel considers Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip for 16 years, illegitimate, but does not see self-governing Palestinian entities in the West Bank as a suitable replacement.

If both Palestinian territories were managed by one authority, Israel would face more pressure to negotiate the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Marwan Bishara in the 972 information portal says that as long as the power vacuum exists in Gaza, the right-wing faction can continue to pursue its goals through war. Netanyahu can prolong his stay in power and there will be no real chance for peace negotiations to begin, even though the Americans are eager to restart them.

However, it seems that the army is tired of this void created by endless war and the real possibility of victory is absent. The attack on Rafah has increased dissatisfaction among the military ranks.

And Benny Gantz’s exit from the cabinet has eliminated any moderating influence on the government and exposed him even more to right-wing religious allies.

Who nurture the dream of a war of attrition and the destruction of Palestinians.

But Bishara points out that the real danger of escalating violence without a political horizon is that the conflict will end just like the first Lebanon war, with Israel retreating under constant military pressure and the establishment of stable militia forces on the Lebanese border.

After October 7, the idea of ​​creating a limited war cabinet that would exclude elements of the right-wing religious nationalists was raised by Gantz as a necessary condition for the formation of a national unity government.

Between information disclosure and internal polarization, in these eight months, the cabinet acted more as a battlefield between Netanyahu and Gantz rather than a pilot cabinet. When Gantz left the government, the need to show the image of a unified government and country to the world disappeared.

Overall, although it seems unimaginable, the dissolution of the war cabinet will not have any impact on military operations in Gaza.

This is a decision that removes the Prime Minister from embarrassment by justifying the inclusion or exclusion of Bennett and Smotrich in the cabinet while also certifying that Netanyahu always holds the reins.