The significance of Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz's departure: A detailed analysis
On May 18, Benny Gantz made it clear that he would step down from his position in the Israeli war cabinet if Netanyahu failed to present a concrete plan for bringing home the hostages and establishing post-war governance in Gaza, among other issues. After the successful rescue of four hostages on Saturday, he postponed his decision to resign by a day.
In a televised statement on Sunday evening, Gantz shared, "Leaving the government is a complex and painful decision." He further added, "Netanyahu hinders us from progressing towards a meaningful victory in Gaza. Hence, we depart from the emergency government today with a heavy heart, but with our hearts intact."
Now that Gantz has left the war cabinet, there are three key areas where his departure could make a difference - from the perspective of Israelis, Palestinians in Gaza, and the global audience: the Israeli government, the management of the conflict with Hamas, and Gantz's own political possibilities.
Gantz's departure is unlikely to bring down the government since Netanyahu and his coalition partners currently hold 64 out of 120 seats in the Knesset. As long as the hostages are still being held, Netanyahu's far-right ministers aren't likely to leave, keeping him in power potentially until elections scheduled for October 2026, as per opinion polls.
For the Palestinians in Gaza, Gantz's exit from the government could mean that the situation will likely not improve. The "moderating" approach of Gantz, as mentioned by former Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller in his conversation with CNN, probably wouldn't have led to more lenient Israeli treatment of Hamas or fewer civilian casualties.
Gantz's stance on dealing with Hamas is far from being a dove's perspective, just like that of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. However, both Gantz and Gallant aren't afraid to publicly disagree with Netanyahu. In the past, when Gantz had agreed to share the prime ministerial position with Netanyahu, it was thwarted after a budget was not passed, leading to the government's collapse. Gallant was also fired and then reinstated in 2021 after criticizing Netanyahu's judicial overhaul.
If a hostage deal acceptable to Gantz and Gallant were to surface but caused Netanyahu's coalition partners to leave instead, there might have been a chance for them to challenge him. With Gantz out of the way, this scenario is less probable. Additionally, the chances of a substantial hostage deal materializing are also reduced.
Aaron David Miller highlighted, "Benny Gantz is in a tough situation. He wants to remain in the government but doesn't have the leverage to bring it down."
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In discussing the impact of Benny Gantz's departure from the Israeli war cabinet, international observers might question how this will affect the world's perception of Israel's stance towards the Middle East. With Gantz's departure, there may be a shift in Israel's approach towards managing the conflict with Hamas, potentially altering the balance of power in the Middle East.
