Far-right Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir threatens Netanyahu with government dissolution
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to dissolve the coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing the halt of attacks on Gaza as the “disintegration” of the government.
Ben-Gvir, who had previously disagreed with Netanyahu regarding Gaza, made his threat on social media, stating that “stopping the war (attacks on Gaza) = dissolution of the government.” The coalition government led by Netanyahu currently holds 64 seats in the 120-seat parliament, with the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party led by Ben-Gvir having 5 MPs.
The Israeli army launched attacks on the Gaza Strip on October 7, but a 4-day “humanitarian pause” was given to the clashes in Gaza on November 24 as part of a prisoner exchange agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar and Egypt. After talks, this “humanitarian pause” was extended for 2 more days.
Ben-Gvir’s threat to dissolve the government comes amid tensions within the coalition government over the handling of the Gaza situation, highlighting the fragility of the political situation in Israel. The situation is evolving, and it remains to be seen how the government will respond to the threat and if it will have any impact on its stability.
