Ultimatum to Netanyahu

Opposition threatens to end war government

Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz (right)

(Bild: AFP/Abir SULTAN)

In Israel, the opposition party of former Defense Minister Benny Gantz is calling for new elections. Gantz, who is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, proposed a vote in parliament on Thursday to dissolve it. It is unclear whether there could be a majority for this with new elections to be held. 

Gantz had given Netanyahu an ultimatum until June 8 to present a plan for further action after the end of the Gaza war. Otherwise he would leave the war coalition. Gantz had joined the government after the massacre by the radical Islamic Hamas in Israel on October 7.

In an initial reaction, Netanyahu's Likud party declared that Israel now needed unity and that a dissolution of the government would harm the war aims. It had already made similar statements in the past.

Israeli government controversial
Since December 2022, Netanyahu has headed a government consisting of his Likud party and its allies, religious fundamentalists and right-wing nationalists. After the election, there were large-scale demonstrations in the country for months because Netanyahu - who was himself on trial on corruption charges - wanted to weaken the judiciary.

After the Hamas attack on Israel, however, these issues were pushed into the background. Netanyahu has been shaping Israeli politics for decades and first became head of government in 1996.