From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Ben Gvir says he ‘expects’ Netanyahu to give him a war cabinet seat
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"
Several days after war cabinet minister Benny Gantz threatened to resign from the coalition, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says that he “expects” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appoint him to the narrow decision-making body.
Speaking with ultra-Orthodox news site Kikar Hashabbat, Ben Gvir says, “I have no doubt that Netanyahu will bring me in.”
“I think that Netanyahu understands very well what I want from him. We have private conversations and in private conversations I allow myself to tell him many things.”
In a televised statement on Saturday, Gantz, whose National Unity party joined the government in the wake of October 7, issued an ultimatum to Netanyahu, threatening to withdraw from the coalition unless the premier commits to an agreed-upon vision for the Gaza conflict by June 8.
The war cabinet currently has three voting members: Netanyahu, Gantz, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Ben Gvir last week called on Netanyahu to immediately terminate Gallant after he challenged the government’s postwar thinking for the Gaza Strip in a televised address.
The Times of Israel Community.