Jump to content

Israeli war cabinet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Triggerhippie4 (talk | contribs) at 18:43, 11 October 2023 (→‎Background). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Seventh Netanyahu cabinet

38th Cabinet of Israel
Incumbent
Date formed11 October 2023
People and organisations
PresidentIsaac Herzog
Prime ministerBenjamin Netanyahu
Member parties
Status in legislatureWar cabinet
History
Election2022 Knesset election
Legislature terms25th Knesset
Predecessor37th government

The current war cabinet of Israel is the incoming cabinet of Israel, formed on 11 October 2023 following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[1][2] The coalition government consists of parties from the thirty-seventh government and members of the opposition National Unity and is led by Benjamin Netanyahu, as the Prime Minister of Israel. It was not immediately clear if the incoming government will include Netanyahu’s existing government partners, a collection of far-right parties.[3]

Benjamin Netanyahu, the incumbent prime minister and Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and military chief of staff, agreed to form a war cabinet comprising Netanyahu, Gantz and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, a joint statement from Gantz’s National Unity party. The statement said the unity government will not promote any unrelated policy or laws except those related to the ongoing fighting with Hamas in Gaza.[3] It is authorized to make decisions regarding the war without going through the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Negotiations began immediately after the outbreak of hostilities.[4] It consists of a prime minister, defense minister, and official camp head, Benny Gantz. There will be two other observers, Gadi Eizenkot and Ron Dermer.[5]

Politico described the formation of the unity government as an opportunity for Benjamin Netanyahu to course correct and save his political legacy.[6] The Jewish Chronicle reported the incoming government "would almost certainly spell an end to the controversial judicial reform plans."[7]

Background

Main article: 2023 Israel–Hamas war

The 2023 Israel–Hamas war is an ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups[a] led by Hamas. Part of the broader Gaza–Israel conflict and following an uptick of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war began with a militant invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip on 7 October 2023.[8][9] The responding Israeli counteroffensive was named Operation Iron Swords by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[10]

Hostilities were initiated in the early morning with a rocket barrage of at least 3,000 missiles against Israel and vehicle-transported incursions into its territory.[11] Palestinian militants broke through the Gaza–Israel barrier and forced their way through Gaza border crossings, attacking nearby Israeli communities and military installations. At least 1,200 Israelis were killed, including a massacre at a music festival where at least 260 civilians were killed. Israeli soldiers and civilians, including children, were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip.[12]

The war represents a tipping point in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Gaza–Israel conflict, which followed a violent year that saw increased expansion of Israeli settlements and clashes in Jenin, Al-Aqsa mosque, and Gaza, which killed almost 250 Palestinians and 36 Israelis;[b][15] Hamas cited these events as justification for the attack and called on Palestinians to join the fight to "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls".[16][17][18] In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared states of emergency and war, vowing a "mighty vengeance" against "terrorism".

Proposed emergency unity government

Among opposition parties, Yesh Atid leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman and Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli issued a joint statement expressing full backing for the IDF and unity with the government, saying: "In times like these, there is no opposition and coalition in Israel."[19][20]

Netanyahu proposed that Yesh Atid and National Unity enter an emergency unity government with his Likud-led coalition,[21] after Lapid urged Netanyahu put "aside our differences and form an emergency, narrow, professional government".[22] Lapid said that Israel could not effectively manage the war with "the extreme and dysfunctional composition of the current cabinet" and called upon Netanyahu to eject the far-right Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit parties as a condition for Yesh Atid to join an emergency unity government.[22]

The National Unity party met with Likud on 9 October to discuss a possible unity government, with National Unity likely to join such an arrangement.[23] Likud said the emergency unity government would be similar to the one formed before the Six Day War in 1967. Levi Eshkol and then-opposition leader Menachem Begin joined hands for the duration of the War in the thirteenth government of Israel.[24]

Members of government

Haaretz reported that former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will serve as observers.[25]

Portfolio Minister Party
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Likud
Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant Likud
Benny Gantz National Unity

Notes

  1. ^ The list of groups included Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Lions' Den.
  2. ^ In 2023, before the offensive started, at least 247 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, while 32 Israelis and two foreign nationals had been killed by Palestinians.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ Julian, Hana Levi (11 October 2023). "Israel Forms Limited War Cabinet, Unity Government". The Jewish Press.
  2. ^ Agencies, Daily Sabah with (11 October 2023). "Netanyahu, Israeli opposition form emergency govt, war Cabinet". Daily Sabah.
  3. ^ a b "Israeli PM Netanyahu, opposition leader Gantz to form emergency unity gov't". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  4. ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie; Sharon, Jeremy (11 October 2023). "Netanyahu, Lapid and Gantz discuss forming emergency government as country faces war". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Netanyahu, Gantz, reach agreement on emergency unity government". Arutz Sheva. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. ^ Aronson, Cole S. (8 October 2023). "Bibi's Big Chance". Politico. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz poised to form unity government". The Jewish Chronicle. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  8. ^ Beauchamp, Zack (7 October 2023). "Why did Hamas invade Israel?". Vox. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  9. ^ Erlanger, Steven (7 October 2023). "An Attack From Gaza and an Israeli Declaration of War. Now What?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  10. ^ "IDF strikes Hamas as operation 'Iron Swords' commences". The Jerusalem Post. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Around 1,000 dead in Israel-Hamas war, as Lebanon's Hezbollah also launches strikes". South China Morning Post. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  12. ^ McKernan, Bethan (7 October 2023). "Hamas launches surprise attack on Israel as Palestinian gunmen reported in south". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Palestinian fighters reported in Israel as rockets launched from Gaza". Al Jazeera. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Palestinian killed in clashes with Israelis in West Bank". France 24. 6 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Israel declares war, goes after Hamas fighters and bombards Gaza". Associated Press News. The Associated Press. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Hamas commander says attacks are in defense of Al-Aqsa, claims 5,000 missiles fired". The Times of Israel. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023. "Today the people are regaining their revolution," Hamas military commander Muhammad Deif said in a recorded message, as he called on Palestinians from East Jerusalem to northern Israel to join the fight and "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls."
  17. ^ Said, Summer (9 October 2023). "Hamas Says Attacks on Israel Were Backed by Iran". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  18. ^ Yang, Maya; Bayer, Lili; Ho, Vivian; Fulton, Adam; Bayer (7 October 2023). "Israel says civilians and soldiers held hostage in Gaza after major Palestinian attack – live". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Opposition heads call for united front amid massive ongoing Hamas attack". The Times of Israel. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  20. ^ "Yair Lapid offers to form emergency unity government with Netanyahu after Hamas terror attack". The Jewish Chronicle. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  21. ^ Sharon, Jeremy (7 October 2023). "Netanyahu offers Lapid, Gantz to join him in emergency unity government". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  22. ^ a b Keller-Lynn, Carrie. "Lapid urges emergency government, says PM can't manage war with extreme cabinet". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Potential breakthrough in emergency unity cabinet talks, amid urgent calls for deal". The Times of Israel. 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  24. ^ Sharon, Jeremy; Staff, ToI. "Gantz, Liberman open to emergency unity government, but demand say in waging war". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Netanyahu, Gantz agree to form war government as IDF hits Gaza, battles hiding gunmen". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Israeli_war_cabinet&oldid=1179681120"