3 National Unity party ministers to skip cabinet meeting, after Netanyahu-Gantz spat

In a possible sign of worsening tensions in the emergency government, three ministers from Benny Gantz’s National Unity party are set to skip today’s cabinet meeting, Hebrew media reports.

Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot and Chili Tropper — all from National Unity’s centrist Blue and White faction rather than Gideon Sa’ar’s right-wing New Hope — will not attend the weekly meeting of ministers headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The move comes after Gantz and Netanyahu publicly sparred, during a security cabinet meeting that had been meant to focus on a vision for postwar Gaza, over the conduct of ministers who slammed IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi for the military probe he announced into October 7 failures.

Some ministers have been absent from cabinet meetings since the war began due to scheduling issues.