The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported today, Tuesday, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secretly approved the inclusion of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in Israel's War Cabinet.
The Israeli broadcaster revealed that the mini-forum for war management sometimes meets unofficially and that Netanyahu requested nothing be published about Ben-Gvir's inclusion.
Israeli Army Radio had quoted Ben-Gvir, head of the "Otzma Yehudit" (Jewish Power) party, which holds six out of 120 Knesset seats, saying he wanted "to make changes in the War Cabinet," emphasizing that if he was not included, he would seek to disrupt and interfere with it.
Yesterday, Monday, Ben-Gvir accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of "making decisions on his own and isolating his partners in the government," adding, "We didn't come to cheer from the sidelines; we came to make an impact."
On June 9, War Cabinet members from the "State Camp" party, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot, announced their withdrawal from the War Cabinet.
Subsequently, the council was dissolved according to Hebrew media, but Netanyahu continued to conduct war management consultations in a smaller forum including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Shas party leader Aryeh Deri, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that unnamed sources in Ben-Gvir's party indicated that as long as their demand for Ben-Gvir's inclusion in the War Cabinet was unmet, they would resort to "disrupting coalition work," including blocking votes on coalition-proposed bills.
On multiple occasions, Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to withdraw from the government if a deal is reached with Hamas for a prisoner exchange that would cease the war.
In related news, the Walla website mentioned signs of worsening relations between Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, adding that Netanyahu might soon decide on Halevi's future as army investigations near their conclusion.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that a source in the religious Shas party stated that Ben-Gvir's actions undermine government stability and could bring it down.
The War Cabinet is Israel's narrowest political and security body, responsible for making political decisions during wartime.
Since October 7, Israeli occupation forces, with American support, have been waging a devastating war on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 126,000 martyrs and injured, most of them children and women, with more than 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that has claimed the lives of dozens of children.