From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Ben Gvir: Netanyahu favoring ‘path of submission and subservience’ over bringing hell to Hamas
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Former national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of preferring the “path of submission and subservience” rather than military victory in Gaza.
“The Israeli government continues to miss opportunities and fail,” Ben Gvir declares, several hours after the release of hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn.
“Instead of adopting [US] President [Donald] Trump’s words and bringing hell to Hamas, Prime Minister Netanyahu prefers continued negotiations with the devil and the path of submission and subservience,” Ben Gvir states. “This is not how a ‘right-wing government’ should operate.”
Ben Gvir, the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, left Netanyahu’s coalition last month in protest of the current ceasefire with Hamas, and has said he’ll return if Israel resumes the fighting in Gaza.
