Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on opposition leaders to join an emergency government immediately without any conditions in a statement on Monday night as the death toll from Hamas’s brutal attack on Saturday surpassed 900 men, women, and children.
The statement was made after Benny Gantz’s National Unity Party met with Likud representatives earlier in the day to discuss the formation of an emergency government for the duration of the war.
During the meeting, National Unity suggested setting up a war cabinet where the party would have an influencing representative who would join the existing government’s relevant ministers. If other opposition parties join the emergency government, they would also have representation in the cabinet.
Authority over war management
National Unity further suggested that the war cabinet be given the majority of authority over war management.Further, the party requested that for the duration of the war, no legislation be held in Knesset that wasn’t related to the war.
The meeting ended with a commitment from party leader Gantz that the party would give the government full support and help wherever needed whether from within the government or the opposition.
Full support for an emergency government has been voiced by opposition leaders such as Gantz, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman. On Monday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also voiced support for it.
Liberman and Lapid both said they would join an emergency government on the condition that Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi commit to destroying Hamas.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office said that Lapid is continuing to receive regular updates on the developments of the war.
In his statement on Monday night, Netanyahu said the IDF was ramping up an attack on Hamas the likes of which were never seen before.
“We’ve only just started attacking Hamas,” he added. “Anywhere Hamas works out of will be reduced to ruins.”However, 16 coalition MKs signed a letter on Monday urging Netanyahu to change the objective to Israel taking total control of the Gaza Strip.
But while everyone agreed that emergency leadership is sorely needed, there was some argument as to how it should look. Gantz seemingly was urging Netanyahu not to allow Ben-Gvir and Smotrich into the war cabinet, while other coalition MKs such as Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar said it would be unacceptable for their constituent soldiers not have representation in the cabinet.
But as to the final make up of the emergency government and its war cabinet, Netanyahu and Gantz were expected to meet on Tuesday to finalize the details.