TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the influential war cabinet charged with steering the war in Gaza, Israeli officials said Monday. How the Israeli leader is tackling the war.
The move was widely expected after Benny Gantz’s departure earlier this month, which he said came after growing frustrations over Netanyahu’s handling of the war. Gantz’s absence makes Netanyahu more dependent on his ultranationalist allies to govern, and the dissolution of the War Cabinet underlines a shift underway as Israel continues its eight-month war in Gaza.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the change with the media, said Netanyahu would hold smaller forums in the future with some of his government members on sensitive issues surrounding the war. This includes his security cabinet, which includes far-right government partners who oppose ceasefire agreements and have expressed support for the reoccupation of Gaza.
The War Cabinet was formed in the early days of the war, when Gantz, a centrist opposition party leader, joined the coalition in a show of unity following the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. He had demanded that a small decision-making body direct the war, in an effort to sideline far-right members of Netanyahu’s government.
It consisted of three members – Gantz, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant – and together they made important decisions over the course of the war.
Although Gantz’s departure did not pose a direct threat to Netanyahu’s rule, it turned Israeli politics upside down at a sensitive time. The popular former military chief was seen as a statesman who boosted Israel’s credibility with its international partners at a time when Israel is at its most isolated.
Netanyahu’s government is Israel’s most religious and right-wing government ever. In Israel’s fractious parliamentary system, Netanyahu relies on a group of small parties to keep his government afloat, and without the support of Gantz’s party, Netanyahu could be more dependent on the far-right allies who have repeatedly promised to overthrow the government if their demands are not met.
Critics say Netanyahu’s wartime decision-making has been influenced by the ultranationalists in his government. Netanyahu denies the accusations and says he has the country’s best interests at heart.
