Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the dissolution of the War Cabinet following former IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s resignation from the emergency unity government, along with former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
The announcement was made Sunday during a meeting of the wider political-security cabinet, although it was made public only a day later.
Gantz served as a Minister Without Portfolio in the War Cabinet, and Eisenkot was an observer. Both are members of the opposition’s National Unity faction.
With their departure, the emergency unity government no longer exists. Gantz set the formation of a limited war cabinet as a condition for joining the unity coalition.
Henceforth military issues will be discussed in the general Political-Security Cabinet, Netanyahu said.
“Sensitive” issues will be discussed privately among remaining members of the disbanded War Cabinet — Netanyahu himself, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi – and other relevant parties.
It is expected that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has for months been lobbying to be included in such discussions, will likely be excluded from future “sensitive” war discussions as well.
