Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has urged a fellow far-right minister to join him in threatening to collapse the Israeli government over the emerging ceasefire-hostage deal with Hamas. Ben Gvir called on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they will resign from government because the potential deal “is horrible.” Netanyahu needs the support of both ministers’ parties in parliament to keep his coalition from collapsing.
“Over the past year, through our political power, we successfully prevented this deal from moving forward time and time again,” Ben Gvir said Tuesday. The minister said his resignation alone would not force Netanyahu to reconsider signing the Gaza deal – which is currently in its final stages of negotiation – but along with Smotrich, they can form a “strong enough force making it impossible” for Netanyahu to proceed.
Despite calling the potential agreement a “catastrophe” for Israel’s national security, Smotrich has not threatened to resign from government. “Together, we must unequivocally and firmly inform the prime minister that if the deal goes forward, we will both withdraw from the government,” Ben Gvir said.
The two far-right ministers were allies before they fell out over police funding.
