Israeli Knesset member and opposition leader Benny Gantz has warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not “sacrifice his government to protect Israelis,” or do what is necessary to prevent civil war.
The former member of the Israeli war cabinet stressed that if Israelis “do not come to our senses, there will be a civil war here… It is forbidden to hide the truth.”
According to him, there is a “leadership that divides the people and poisons the well from which everyone drinks.”
Israeli Channel 14 reported on his statements, indicating that he expressed his thoughts during a public ceremony held Monday commemorating the so-called “destruction of the Temple.”
Gantz criticized the raids on military bases and the “trampling on the dignity of captives’ families.”
“We have crossed the threshold of verbal and physical violence,” Gantz said, stressing that “the matter will end in murder,” adding, “We have not learned the lesson from October 7, nor from the destruction of the Temple.”
These statements come in conjunction with the public rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Security Minister Yoav Gallant, which has caused significant concern among senior officials within the Israeli security apparatus, including the Israeli occupation forces, the Shin Bet, and the Mossad.
According to Israeli Channel 12 last month, high-ranking security officials have warned that the personal and political conflict between Netanyahu and Gallant is “damaging” the management of ongoing military operations. It was noted that the two do not communicate outside of official discussions.
Netanyahu is also considering dismissing Gallant from his position and replacing him with the head of the New Hope party, Gideon Sa’ar, according to Israeli media reports.
Channel 12 recently reported that Netanyahu is planning to hold consultations on this matter during the Knesset’s summer recess, which lasts for three months.
This comes against the backdrop of a recent statement issued by Gallant, in which he claimed to have provided directives to the Israeli military on how to respond to the incident in Majdal Shams without informing Netanyahu.
This led to calls for Gallant’s dismissal by other ministers among the Israeli leadership, who accused him of acting “outside the scope of his authority.”
Dark future awaits ‘Israel’ after war on Gaza, Foreign Affairs says
In a recent grim analysis, the Foreign Affairs magazine has painted a gloomy picture of the Israeli regime’s future in the wake of the war on Gaza, predicting a potential “demise of Israel” and a “dark future” marked by internal instability and increasing global isolation.
The magazine argues that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by the Palestinian Resistance on October 7, 2023, struck the Israeli occupation at a moment of profound internal turmoil. It highlights the deep divisions within Israeli society, exacerbated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for controversial judicial reforms aimed at significantly curtailing the Supreme Court’s authority over government actions.
These proposed judicial changes ignited widespread protests, revealing a nation deeply fractured along political lines. According to Foreign Affairs, the ongoing conflict with Gaza has only served to “intensify political divisions within Israel,” setting the occupation on a “dangerous and unsustainable trajectory” that could lead to capital flight, brain drain, and escalating internal tensions.
The magazine warns that the Israeli occupation could be on the brink of transforming into a fragmented state, with far-right religious and nationalist groups potentially establishing their own de facto governance, particularly in West Bank settlements. In a more dire scenario, Foreign Affairs speculates that the Israeli occupation might face a violent civil conflict, pitting armed religious extremists against official state institutions.
Moreover, the presence of competing security forces and weakened parliamentary oversight is expected to undermine the Israeli security apparatus overall, potentially leading to the collapse of its governance structures.
While a full-blown civil war has not yet materialized, Foreign Affairs cautions that the Israeli current path will likely result in prolonged instability and economic collapse, potentially leading to its failure.
On the international stage, the magazine notes that the Israeli occupation is becoming increasingly isolated. Despite ongoing support from key allies like the United States, Foreign Affairs asserts that negative global public opinion, coupled with growing legal and diplomatic challenges, will further marginalize the Israeli occupation internationally.
