Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz announced Sunday evening that he is resigning from the emergency government.
“[Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is preventing us from moving forward to a real victory,” said Gantz. “And so today we are leaving the emergency government with a heavy heart, but with our whole heart.”
“Fateful, strategic decisions are met with hesitance and procrastination due to political considerations,” said Gantz, criticizing the current government’s recent behavior.
Gantz called for elections to be held in the fall, urging Netanyahu to set an agreed-on date for them to occur.
He expressed his support for the hostage deal presented by US President Joe Biden, while urging Netanyahu to stand behind it. I “demand that the prime minister show the necessary courage to stand behind it and do everything to move it forward,” he said.
Gantz also apologized to the families of the hostages. “We did a lot – but we failed the test. We have not managed to bring many of the hostages home. The responsibility is mine as well.”
Gantz also called for the formation of a national probe to “examine the failures from within and protect from hypocritical attacks from without.”
Gantz praised Defense Minister Gallant, calling him a brave and determined leader, and telling him that now is the time not only to say what is right, but “to do what is right.”
Netanyahu responded to the announcement, saying, “Israel is in an existential war on several fronts. Benny, now is not the time to abandon the fight, it is the time to combine powers.”
“Citizens of Israel, we will keep fighting until victory and until the achievement of all of the goals of the war, first of which is to free all of our hostages and to eliminate Hamas,” he added.
“My door will stay open to any Zionist party that is willing to share the burden and help bring victory over our enemies and ensure the safety of our citizens.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded to the announcement demanding to be added to the war cabinet. “It is time to make brave decisions, to get real deterrence and to bring security to the South, the North, and all of Israel,” he said.
Gantz had announced on May 18 that his party would leave the government on June 8 if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not adopt six objectives: Returning the hostages; demolishing Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip; providing a governing alternative in the Strip: returning residents of the North to their homes by September 1 and rehabilitating the western Negev; promoting normalization with Saudi Arabia; and adopting an outline for standardized national service in which all Israelis serve the country.
While Gantz was scheduled to address the country Saturday night, on June 8, he postponed due to the news of the rescue of four Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity – Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv.
National Unity goes on the offensive
Members of Gantz’s took steps last week in opposition to the government. MK Orit Farkash Hacohen put forward a bill to form a National Committee of Inquiry on the events leading up to, during, and after October 7. In addition, MK Pnina Tamano-Shata put forward a bill to disperse the Knesset, which would lead to an election.
Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
Read More: Benny Gantz resigns from wartime government
