Occupied Jerusalem- The statements of Israeli Security Minister Yoav Galant, rejecting the establishment of Israeli military rule in the Gaza Strip and his insistence on completing the “day after” plan for the war, brought back to the forefront the differences and differing positions within the government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, which clearly surfaced in March 2023, against the backdrop of Gallant’s position rejecting amendments to the Israeli judicial system.
At the time, Netanyahu was quick to dismiss Galant, who in turn supported the demonstrations and protests rejecting the amendments to the judiciary, from his position. However, he retracted this step, which threatened to cause rebellion and schism within the Likud Party led by Netanyahu, as the latter intended to overcome the differences with Galant after the war over them deepened them. Gaza threatens to disintegrate the war council and undermine the government coalition.
Estimates from political and military analysts unanimously agreed that Gallant, with his confrontational positions with the Prime Minister and the far-right camp in the government, has become the most powerful figure within the emergency government, and he is now threatening Netanyahu’s throne as head of the Likud Party.
Analysts believe that Netanyahu finds it difficult to remove Gallant from his position in light of the war, as demanded by the coalition partners, the head of “Religious Zionism” Bezalel Smotrich, and the head of the “Jewish Greatness” party Itamar Ben Gvir, for fear of expanding protests in the Israeli street against the government.
Accumulated disagreements
Analysts agreed that the escalating disagreements between Netanyahu and Gallant reinforce the divisions within the government and the war council, deepen the rifts and divisions in Israeli society, and indicate the exposure of political, partisan and religious polarization, and the intensification of the conflict between the secular and religious Zionist trends.
Analysts estimated that these differences reflect the features of the changes in the partisan political map within the traditional right-wing camp, and the conflict with the far-right parties that are blackmailing Netanyahu, who is being tried on charges of corruption and breach of trust, as these parties turned him into a hostage of their ideological project seeking to establish a Jewish state on the entire territory of historic Palestine. .
Political analyst Akiva Eldar believes that the disagreements within the ranks of the Israeli government and the state of confusion regarding the conduct of the war and the liberation of detainees held by Hamas in Gaza reflect the military failure to achieve the declared war goals.
He explained that Netanyahu wants an endless war, in order to ensure that he remains in the prime minister’s chair for as long as possible, in order not to be ousted from the leadership of Likud, or to be tried and imprisoned if the war ends.
Eldar reviewed to Tel Aviv Tribune Net the nature of the differences within the government, and the differences in positions within the opposition bloc regarding everything related to the war on Gaza and the day after the war, saying that “the various political and partisan forces agree on the war, and the differences lie in the list of priorities.”
It is likely that Gallant is considered the most powerful figure in the government, and he is the one who pushes for the implementation of military plans, determines the stages of the fighting with Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, and intersects in his proposals and demands with the camp of Minister Benny Gantz within the emergency government.
The political analyst says that the Minister of Security is meeting with the proposal of the opposition bloc headed by Yair Lapid, which is pushing for the return of Israeli detainees in Gaza, and is ready to give Gallant and the security services a safety net for a possible exchange deal and a temporary ceasefire.
In contrast to this proposal, which is agreed upon by the opposition parties and figures and movements within the emergency government, Eldar says that there is a proposal by the extreme right and religious parties in which they see the continuation of the war as an opportunity to implement their project and agenda on the ground, as they exploit Netanyahu and threaten him to dismantle the government if he takes any path that ends the war. .
Contrast and conflicts
The same proposal was adopted by the spokesman for the “Peace Now” bloc, Adam Clare, who believes that the differences between the various factions and the state of confusion in the Israeli party scene will not only affect the government coalition that is governed by the meeting of interests between Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, Smotrich and ministers in the Likud party, who are pushing for the restoration of government. Rather, it reflects the political and religious polarization that Israeli society is witnessing.
Clare explained to Tel Aviv Tribune Net that this polarization shows the strengthening of convictions in Israeli society to continue fighting and waging the battle for existence, and to reject any settlement with the Palestinian people, with many government ministers identifying with the extreme right’s calls for the return of settlement and the imposition of military and civil control over the Gaza Strip.
The spokesman for the “Peace Now” bloc pointed out that, with the exception of the forces of the peace movements and the Zionist left movement, which demand the conclusion of an exchange deal, the liberation of detainees, and an end to the war, the vast majority of the Israeli factions support the continuation of the fighting and differ among themselves regarding priorities, saying that “without any external pressure, there is no “The Israeli consensus could be breached.”
Clare pointed out that in light of the varying positions and internal conflicts at the level of the government coalition, currents, camps and parties, the fact is revealed that there is no future political vision for the various political and partisan factions in Israel, not regarding the day after the war, but even about any political settlement with the Palestinians in accordance with international resolutions and the two-state solution. .
Contrary to the original
Regarding the disagreements within the government poles over the course of the war, the next day, and the future of Gaza, Ron Ben Yishai, a military analyst on the Ynet website, believes that Netanyahu – unlike Galant – does not rule out an Israeli military administration that will manage the lives of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip until Hamas is defeated, which is considered to be the case. This is far-fetched, according to the analyst.
The military analyst pointed out that Netanyahu is pushing behind the scenes towards military rule in the Gaza Strip, even if the price is depleting the capabilities and energies of the Israeli army, while the ministers of “Jewish greatness” and “religious Zionism” want to return to settlement in Gaza, saying that “the consequences of this “It will be heavy on the security and military establishment.”
He explained that the public controversy between Gallant, the security establishment, and Prime Minister Netanyahu stems from differences in ideological and military viewpoints. He said, “Netanyahu, for ideological reasons and also according to his strategic vision, does not want to involve the Palestinian Authority in controlling Gaza as an alternative to Hamas’ rule.”
He pointed out that Netanyahu is facing pressure within his government from far-right parties that support military rule in Gaza, with the aim of being a lever for the return of settlement in Gaza.
He said, “Netanyahu refrains from taking a clear position on settlement in the Gaza Strip, to avoid a clash with the parties and the national religious bloc in the coalition, a clash that would disintegrate his government.”