‘Losing a Rare Voice of Sanity’: How Gantz’s Resignation From Government May Shape War Strategy, Political Landscape, and Israel-US Relations

Netanyahu’s government still has a 64-seat majority after losing Gantz’s National Unity party, with experts divided as to whether Gantz’s exit will lead to new elections or to an increasingly emboldened right wing

Knesset member Benny Gantz of the centrist National Unity party stepped down from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet and government last week. Gantz accused Netanyahu of impending “true victory” in Israel’s war against Hamas. Gantz is now advocating for Israel to hold early elections in the fall.

The Media Line spoke with political experts, including a member of Knesset, to understand how Gantz’s resignation will affect military strategy, the political landscape, and Israel’s relationship with the US.

Dr. Shuki Friedman, vice president of the Jewish People Policy Institute and senior lecturer in law at the Peres Academic Center, told The Media Line that Gantz intends for his resignation to result in new elections. Following the National Unity party’s exit, the government now holds only 64 of the 120 seats in the Knesset.

“The government is more vulnerable and has more incentive to go to election,” Friedman said. “I think his hope is to go to elections in the autumn.”

The next Israeli parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2026. The Knesset rarely serves a full four-year term since unstable coalitions usually lead to early elections.

Oded Forer, a member of Knesset for the secular right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, said that changing the makeup of the government without elections would be the ideal option. “If not, the election is a better option than the continuation of this government,” he told The Media Line. “It is the most dangerous for the state of Israel.”

Yisrael Beitenu is part of the Knesset opposition, now joined by Gantz’s National Unity party.

The problem is that this government, even when Gantz was part of it, didn’t make any decisions that it should have. Now, the situation is running the government instead of the government running the situation. It puts us in a very dangerous situation.

“The problem is that this government, even when Gantz was part of it, didn’t make any decisions that it should have. Now, the situation is running the government instead of the government running the situation. It puts us in a very dangerous situation,” Forer said.

The government still hasn’t established a clear plan regarding the war and its aftermath, he continued.

“What should we do with the Gaza Strip? What is the agenda? What is the strategy? All the time, we are only making tactical decisions and short operations,” he said.

He accused the government of short-term thinking regarding the northern front as well. Tens of thousands of Israelis living near the border with Lebanon have been displaced amid months of cross-border fighting, and it remains unclear whether the government has a plan to safely return them to their homes.

We didn’t make any decision about what we want to do with the north

“You evacuated them in order to do what? We didn’t make any decision about what we want to do with the north,” Forer said.

Dr. Emmanuel Navon, a political scientist at Tel Aviv University, said that Gantz’s departure may lead to more ideological uniformity in Netanyahu’s war cabinet.

“Gantz is not threatening the coalition of Netanyahu,” he told The Media Line. “But it will change the makeup of the war cabinet, which is now going to be reduced to the prime minister, the minister of defense, who’s running right, and, on their end, the minister of strategic affairs as an observer.”

Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party. Ron Dermer, a former Israeli ambassador to the US, was appointed minister of strategic affairs by Netanyahu in 2022.

Navon said that the slimmed-down war cabinet would likely bring a different strategy to the war.

Friedman said some ministers not on the war cabinet might gain increasing influence over war strategy. He expressed concern that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of the ultra-nationalist Otzma Yehudit party might become more involved in decision-making.

Ben-Gvir “is looking for a more severe war and willing to extend it to other frontiers,” Friedman said.

He said that Gantz’s resignation has weakened Netanyahu’s position overall.

The confidence Israel has in Netanyahu is very low. Netanyahu’s main interest is his stability and his continuity in governing.

“The confidence Israel has in Netanyahu is very low,” he said, noting that neither politicians nor citizens have much trust in the prime minister. “Netanyahu’s main interest is his stability and his continuity in governing.”

Navon said that the Biden Administration was likely frustrated by Gantz’s decision to leave the government.

“Gantz is a responsible adult in that government,” he said. “So the Biden Administration is now losing a rare voice of sanity.”

On the other hand, Friedman said, the US might be relieved by the possibility of new Israeli elections and a potential new government. Although the US has provided billions of dollars in aid to Israel since October 7, tensions between the Israeli and American administrations are higher than they have been in recent memory.

We had arguments with the US before, and we will have arguments with them in the future, but in order to keep the friendship, we need to have the ability to argue with each other in closed offices without making it public

Forer placed much of the blame for the strained Israel-US relationship on Israel’s decision to air its grievances in public. 

“This is the big mistake that Netanyahu and his ministers are making,” he said. “We had arguments with the US before, and we will have arguments with them in the future, but in order to keep the friendship, we need to have the ability to argue with each other in closed offices without making it public.”