Politics Israeli police minister threatens to quit in hostage deal
The far-right Israeli police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to leave the government in the event of a hostage deal with the Islamist Hamas.
14.01.2025, 10:33
SDA
In a post on Platform X, he called on the equally far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in the fight "against the terrible deal being made".
They must resolutely tell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together "that we will leave the government together if the deal is closed", Ben-Gvir demanded. Nevertheless, Ben-Gvir said that Netanyahu would not be toppled even in the event of a resignation. There have already been minority governments in Israel in the past.
Netanyahu's government currently holds 68 of the 120 seats in parliament. Without the Ben-Gvir and Smotrich factions, he would no longer have a majority. However, opposition leader Jair Lapid had already confirmed on Monday that he would be prepared to offer Netanyahu a "safety net" in parliament in return for a hostage deal.
Ben-Gvir criticized the emerging agreement, which, according to media reports, is to provide for the release of 33 hostages in a first phase in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a withdrawal of Israeli troops, as a "capitulation" to Hamas. Ben-Gvir called instead for a complete halt to the transportation of humanitarian aid, fuel, electricity and water to the Gaza Strip until the "total defeat" of Hamas.
