Political rival says prime minister ‘sees himself as the state’ as IDF declares ‘secondary front’ in West Bank

Benjamin Netanyahu’s main political rival, Benny Gantz, has accused the Israeli prime minister of putting his personal interests before those of his country after he again insisted on the need for Israeli control of the Gaza-Egypt border on Monday, a position that has emerged as a key obstacle to a ceasefire deal.

Speaking in Tel Aviv at the Israel Bar Association’s annual conference on Tuesday, the centre-right National Unity party leader said Netanyahu had “lost his way” and “sees himself as the state … this is dangerous,” he said.

Netanyahu insisted on Monday night that Israel must retain control of the Philadelphi corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt, a stance that he has been warned jeopardises efforts aimed at brokering a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the war with Hamas.

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    • skillissuerEnglish
      171·
      12 days ago

      Many Israelis other than Gantz accuse the prime minister of valuing his political survival more than the hostages’ lives: a ceasefire deal could cause Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners to abandon the government, triggering new elections. The longtime leader sees staying in office as the best way of beating a litany of corruption charges. He denies the allegations.

      this was the case at any point for the last decade

      • breakfastmtn@lemmy.caOPEnglish
        31·
        12 days ago

        Uh… he’s only had those far-right coalition partners since December 2022. A ceasefire deal that would lead them to topple the government wouldn’t have made a ton of sense in September 2023 (or September 2014). Gantz also wasn’t an opposition leader in 2014. Those don’t seem like unimportant things.

        • skillissuerEnglish
          2·
          12 days ago

          i mean more broadly. he’s clinging to power because weren’t for immunity all of his motherfuckery would catch up to him