Israel’s far-right ministers are threatening to resign amid growing disapproval of the government’s refusal to accept a ceasefire proposal.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened Saturday to quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if they agree to US President Joe Biden’s proposed plan for achieving a complete ceasefire, including the release of hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Ben Gvir said his party would dissolve the government if the deal went through and criticised the proposal as follows:
This is a reckless deal which would be a victory for terrorism and a security risk for the State of Israel. If the prime minister puts this deal into action under the conditions that have been published today, the meaning of which is the end of the war and abandoning [the goal of] destroying Hamas, Otzma Yehudit will dismantle the government.
Smotrich, for his part, said he had spoken to Netanyahu and informed him that he would quit the coalition if the new proposal was approved. He said:
I made clear to him that I will not be part of a government that agrees to the proposed outline and ends the war without destroying Hamas and bringing back all the hostages. We will not agree to end the war before the destruction of Hamas, not to the grave harm that an IDF retreat [from Gaza] would cause to the achievements of the war thus far, not to the return of Gazans to northern Gaza, and not to the wholesale release of terrorists who will return, God forbid, to murdering Jews.
Earlier, prime minister insisted the destruction of Hamas was part of Biden’s Israeli plan. Consequently, unity of opinion is important for the prime minister, because without Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s parties, Netanyahu’s coalition might lose its majority in parliament.
In the meantime, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid vowed to offer Netanyahu “our safety net for a hostage deal if Ben Gvir and Smotrich leave the government,” but Lapid’s Yesh Atid would not provide support for the coalition on other issues.
Fatigue with the prime minister’s policies
Israeli society, once a staunch supporter of the war, is showing signs of fatigue amid concerns about the fate of the hostages. Now the unrest among the government and the public is relentlessly growing. Earlier, Benny Gantz, a former centre-right general who joined Netanyahu in the emergency coalition, threatened to quit next week unless the prime minister worked out a plan with him for the next day in Gaza.
Protesters again took to the streets in several cities across Israel on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Benjamin Netanyahu and early elections. Organisers claim by far the largest demonstration since the October 7 terrorist attack: some 1,20,000 people came, but these figures have not yet been confirmed.
The release of all hostages held in Gaza and the Israeli government’s acceptance of the proposal put forward by US President Biden are at the centre of attention. In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, protesters lit torches on phones and called out the names of 125 hostages still held by Hamas. In Caesarea, protesters shouted about Netanyahu’s lack of public trust, urging him to step down from power.
Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza are calling on all members of their government to accept the ceasefire plan drawn up by US President Joe Biden, which he said is Israel’s proposal to end the conflict in Gaza. The Families Forum said in a statement on Saturday:
“The Families Forum is launching an emergency operation this evening for a majority in the government and the Knesset for the implementation of the Netanyahu deal to release all the hostages. The Forum demands the return of all the hostages, some for rehabilitation and others for burial.”
Mediators of the Gaza conflict on Saturday called on Israel and Hamas to finalise a ceasefire and hostage deal. Both sides’ agreement would bring immediate relief to the people in Gaza, as well as to the hostages and their families. In a joint statement issued by US, Qatar and Egypt, it states the following:
“These principles brought the demands of all parties together in a deal that serves multiple interests and will bring immediate relief both to the long-suffering people of Gaza as well as the long-suffering hostages and their families.”
According to an Egyptian official, Israel, Egypt and US officials are set to meet in Cairo on Sunday (2 June) to discuss the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
Bernie Sanders calls PM a war criminal before US Congress
On Friday, four top leaders of the US Congress formally invited Netanyahu to address a joint session. Letter from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says the following:
“We join the State of Israel in your struggle against terror, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive and its leaders jeopardise regional stability. For this reason, on behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, we would like to invite you to address a Joint Meeting of Congress.”
The prime minister has accepted an invitation to address both houses of Congress, according to local media reports. He will become the first foreign leader to address both houses of Congress four times.
Despite, US Senator Bernie Sanders on Saturday criticised congressional leaders who invited Israel’s prime minister to address a joint session of Congress. He stated:
It is a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited – by leaders from both parties – to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress. Israel, of course, had the right to defend itself against the horrific Hamas terrorist attack of October 7th, but it did not, and does not, have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people. Israel does not have the right to kill more than 34,000 civilians and wound over 80,000 – 5% of the population of Gaza. It does not have the right to orphan 19,000 children. It does not have the right to displace 75% of the people of Gaza from their homes.
Senator also highlighted the International Criminal Court’s recent announcement seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader.
The war began on 7 October when Hamas stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages. Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza has left 36,500 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
