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Occupied Jerusalem – The Israeli political scene is witnessing an upward tension inside the right camp, specifically between the Minister of Finance in Salafel Smotrich and the Minister of National Security Etamar bin Ghafir, against the background of the crisis of entering humanitarian aid to Gaza, the progress of the war, and the Israeli government’s plan to occupy the vast majority of the Strip area.
In closed conversations, Smotic Bin Ghafir described the “criminal”, accusing him of leaking information from the Council of Ministers, which he considered a “criminal crime”, according to the newspaper “Israel Hume”, which revealed the scenes of the differences between Ben Ghaffir, head of the “Jewish Great” party, and the head of “religious Zionism” Smotrich.
Smotrich believes that Ben Ghaffir adopts a populist policy, and is attacking the government from the right with the aim of winning popular support at the expense of the unity of the ranks within the coalition, noting that this behavior threatens the stability of the government and may lead to its overthrow.
He also accused him of the implicit alliance with Ayelite Shaked from the leaders of “religious Zionism” and opposition parties, saying, “He wants to appear as the strong man, but what he does crazy.”
With regard to aid to Gaza, Smotic defended his position, saying that the humanitarian support is subject to strict control and will not reach Hamas, stressing that the distribution of food will be through American organizations directly to civilians, with the aim of maintaining international support for Israel in international forums, and continuing military pressure on Hamas.
The dispute between the two men sheds light on the divisions within the right camp, and reflects the increasing tensions within the ruling coalition, where visions differ between those calling for a political and media escalation, and whoever sees that this harms the security battle and the unity of the government.
Crown reviews
The former minister and founder of the “Melanikim-Reserve Movement”, Yaiz Hindel, criticized both Smutrich and Bin Ghafir, describing their positions on the humanitarian aid of Gaza as “clowning reviews”, and falling in the context of competition for votes in the right camp.
He said in a radio interview with Radio “Tel Aviv 103 FM” that the statements of the two ministers do not reflect a real responsibility.
Hindel stressed that what is happening reflects a continuous government failure since the war began, pointing to the failure to make decisive decisions “since October 7, no clear plan has been implemented, but rather a continuous postponement, and the result is international pressure and field decline.”
He stressed that humanitarian aid is used by Hamas to confirm its influence, adding, “We previously suggested establishing safe areas for civilians only, but the government ignored these proposals.”
He talked about the breadth of the reserve summons according to Order No. 8, saying, “We volunteer to defend the homeland, not from the politicians. The state seemed to have disappeared on October 7, and this feeling is repeated today,” and is reflected in the differences within the government and the conflicts between Ben Ghaffir and Smotrich.
Amid reports of the possibility of his withdrawal from the government .. Bin Ghaffir: Netanyahu knows the red lines and I hope we will not reach it, and I am inviting Netanyahu to return the negotiating team from #Doha#War of Gaza pic.twitter.com/bw2rizmqbm
Al -Jazeera channel (@AjArabic) May 18, 2025
Hesm test
“A decisive test of Samotrich and Bin Ghafir: Between fiery slogans and political settlements,” under this title, journalist Helel Biton Rosen, a reporter of security and military affairs in the 14 Israeli channel, known for its proximity to the extreme right, wrote an article in which he reviewed the escalating tension between the two ministers, Smutrich and Bin Ghafir in the wake of the government’s decision to appeal the introduction of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
He pointed to the blatant contradiction between the fiery statements that the two ministers had previously made and their current silence after passing the decision. Bin Ghafir clearly declared that “one love of aid should not enter Gaza,” while the chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, attacked him, accusing him of not implementing the government’s orders and asking him to resign.
Despite the previous threats of the two men to bring down the government for less sensitive reasons, Rosen noted that their reaction to the last decision came fading and deciding to decide, which raises questions in the ranks of the right about their seriousness and commitment to their positions.
However, Rosen excludes that these differences lead to the disintegration of the ruling coalition, likely that the two parties will continue to play within the limits of the existing political balance, in order to ensure their interests, and awareness of the cost of the government bombing at this sensitive stage.
The right -wing audience, who expressed a widespread shock of the resumption of aid, is awaiting the response coming from the two ministers, asking, “Do they adhere to their initial position or are they retreat in order to preserve their political positions?”
Political death
For his part, the former minister of the Labor Party, Hayim Ramon, believes that the differences between the right -wing ministers of the government, Smotrich and Bin Ghafir, no matter how severity, will not lead to the overthrow of the coalition, and the reason is simple, as they both realize that those who drop a right -wing government and pave the way for the left’s return face one fate, which is “political death.”
The experience that the right has lived since Oslo, Ramon says in an article for him in the newspaper “Maariv”, “She formed a deep political awareness of his symbols.
He explained that Smotic showed clear flexibility, when he said that he would give Netanyahu the opportunity to expand military operations and bring aid to the sector away from Hamas, and if the conditions are not fulfilled, then only he may think of resignation.
“Every minister in the right -wing government knows that the threat of withdrawal is completely different from its implementation. As for Bin Ghafir, his individual withdrawal in the past has not changed anything, but may even describe that he cooperated with the left, a scenario that fought politically for him, and he was quick to return to the coalition,” Ramon added.
In this context, Ramon considers that Netanyahu’s move to include Gideon Saar from the opposition was the most influential on the durability of the coalition, as instead of dismantling the government, the opposition was weakened, and concluded by saying that Netanyahu’s survival in power reflects the failure of the opposition, and perhaps Yair Lapid and Benin Gantz seriously think about withdrawing from the political scene.
