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Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant speaks next to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023.
Israeli cabinet meets to decide on Iran response
Israel’s cabinet met Thursday night to debate and vote on a response to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile barrage, but the results have not been made public. Iran’s attack on the Jewish state last week came in response to Israel killing high-level members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant previously said retaliation would be “deadly, precise and, above all, surprising” and the cabinet was expected to authorize a response at the discretion of Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The meeting came just ahead of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement and holiest day of the year in Judaism.
As Eurasia Group’s Cliff Kupchan told GZERO earlier this week, targeting Iran’s oil infrastructure would hurt its economy. We’re watching for escalation, as the current tit for tat began with the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Israeli forces carried out the deadliest strikes on Beirut yet, with at least 22 killed in one of the world’s oldest cities. Israeli soldiers also injured an unknown number of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, where at least three UN posts came under fire.FILE PHOTO: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023.
Bibi and Biden speak after Israeli defense chief postpones US visit
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallantcanceled a much-anticipated trip to Washington on Wednesday, reportedly at the behest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who then held a call with US President Joe Biden himself instead. The visit had been expected to be an important opportunity to discuss Israel’s planned retaliation against Iran for its Oct. 1 rocket barrage, as well as the expanding campaign in Lebanon.
Netanyahu reportedly didn’t want Gallant to preempt his message before the Israeli cabinet votes on a response plan. Biden emphasized on his phone call with Netanyahu — the first time they had spoken in almost two months — that any response must be proportional. Speaking to reporters in Israel, Gallant said its strike on Iran “will be powerful, precise, and above all – surprising. They will not understand what happened and how it happened.”
Meanwhile, in the ruins of Gaza, Hamas’ new leader Yahya Sinwar reportedly issued a directive to revive the practice of suicide bombings shortly after taking over total control this summer. One attempt on Tel Aviv was botched in August when the explosives went off early, killing only the attempted bomber.
Suicide tactics were commonplace for Hamas 20 years ago during the Second Intifade, but the group renounced them to gain more political legitimacy. But with Hamas’ conventional military in shambles, these desperate acts of violence may be the last tool Sinwar has at hand.
Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White party, speaks during an election campaign rally in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel, February 25, 2020.
Is Israel’s government about to fall apart?
National Unity Chair Benny Gantz, a key figure in Israel’s war cabinet and major rival for the premiership, has threatened to resign if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not deliver a post-war plan for the conflict in Gaza by June 8.
Gantz has offered his own six-point plan, which calls for securing the return of hostages, ending Hamas’ rule, demilitarizing Gaza, and establishing an international administration of the region. The ultimatum has exposed a rift within Israel’s three-man war cabinet, composed of Gantz,Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who also opposes Israel reoccupying Gaza after the war ends.
“If you choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss, we will be forced to quit the government,” Gantz told Netanyahu, who responded that Gantz’s “washed-up words” would mean “defeat for Israel.” Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure to end the conflict, with the latest protest in Tel Aviv coming just hours after Gantz’s ultimatum. Police used water cannons to disperse crowds that were demanding an end to the conflict and new elections.
What would an election bring?
A poll published this weekend by Israel’s Channel 12 puts Netanyahu’s job approval rating at 32%, and 35% among right-of-center Likud voters. Gantz garners a 35% overall job approval rating, and 42% among center-left voters. Another survey published by Maariv has Gantz leading Netanyahu for prime minister, 45% to 38%.
In the meantime, Netanyahu is unlikely to bend, and the Rafah offensive is likely to intensify. He also will be even more beholden to the far-right elements in his coalition to fend off potential challenges from Gallant and Gantz.